Butternut Squash Wild Rice Pilaf is a one-pan meal with roasted wild rice, smoked chicken sausage, maple butternut squash, and Brussels sprouts, all topped with a maple-orange vinaigrette.
Butternut Squash Wild Rice Pilaf
One of my family’s favorites is Wild Rice Pilaf, but it’s more of a side dish and takes time since wild rice cooks slowly.
To enjoy it more often, I created this Butternut Squash Wild Rice Pilaf. It’s packed with butternut squash, roasted Brussels sprouts, and caramelized red onions, plus chicken sausage to make it a full main course.
This one-pan meal is hearty, nutritious, and loaded with flavor—plus, only one sheet pan to clean!
Cooking Wild Rice On A Sheet Pan
With a store-bought shortcut, you can have rice ready in minutes! For Butternut Squash Wild Rice Pilaf, you’ll need Ready Rice or Microwaveable Packaged Rice. It’s pre-cooked and just needs heating. Instead of microwaving, we roast it with the veggies and sausage for an easy, quick meal.
Look for “Long Grain & Wild with Herbs & Seasonings” among other rice packets at the store. The recipe assumes you’re using seasoned wild rice, so adjust seasonings if using unseasoned or leftover rice.
Before opening the packet, knead it to break up any clumps for easy serving.
Ingredients
- Sausage: Any smoked sausage works, but I love Aidells Smoked Chicken & Apple. Turkey sausage also works—just be sure it’s smoked and pre-cooked.
- Butternut squash: A ripe squash has a hard, even-colored rind with no green spots. The skin should be firm, not glossy. Here’s how to cut the squash.
- Red onion: Caramelizes beautifully, adding great flavor and texture. Yellow onion works in a pinch.
- Brussels sprouts: Choose firm, bright green heads. Avoid yellowing leaves or black spots.
- Seasonings: No need for many seasonings since the sausage and rice are already seasoned.
- Olive oil & maple syrup: Roast the veggies with olive oil and pure maple syrup for extra flavor and caramelization.
- Chopped pecans: They add crunch and savoriness, but you can also use pepitas, almonds, or walnuts.
- Dried cranberries: Add color and sweetness, or try dried tart cherries for a twist!
Quick Tip
Veggie Recipe Shortcuts: Pick up peeled and chopped butternut squash and halved Brussels sprouts from the produce section of your store — both are huge time savers if you’re looking for a shortcut when making this Butternut Squash Wild Rice Pilaf!
Butternut Squash Wild Rice Pilaf Tips
- Use a sharp knife to cut veggies, especially butternut squash. Cutting them evenly helps everything cook the same.
- Make sure the oven is fully preheated for even cooking, and place the tray in the center.
- Season as you cook. Veggies need plenty of salt and pepper to bring out their flavor. Add seasoning to each part of the dish as you go for the best taste.
- Add toppings like fresh herbs or cheese. I love parsley, green onions, and goat cheese (or feta), but it’s just as good without cheese too!
Butternut Squash Wild Rice Pilaf Dressing
This sweet-tart dressing adds the perfect finishing touch! Clementine juice gives it a light citrus flavor that brings everything together. A few tips:
- A citrus juicer makes squeezing clementines easy.
- Use Dijon mustard, not yellow mustard, for better flavor. I like Grey Poupon® Dijon.
- Use pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup) to roast the squash and in the dressing for the right flavor.
Leftovers?
Store the leftover butternut squash wild rice pilaf in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Keep the dressing separate.
Quick Tip
I recommend this 15×21-inch sheet pan or using two pans to cook this Butternut Squash Wild Rice Pilaf.
More Easy One-Pan Meals
- One-Skillet Sweet Potato Burrito Bowl with black beans and veggies
- Harvest Vegetables and Sausage with Parmesan cheese
- White Bean Gnocchi with turkey sausage
- Tuna Pasta with sweet peas
- Chicken Pot Pie Pasta with rotisserie chicken!
Butternut Squash Wild Rice Pilaf
Equipment
- Sheet pan 15 x 21-inch
Ingredients
Sheet Pan
- 3 cups cubed butternut squash
- 1-1/2 cups chopped red onion
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- Salt and pepper see note 1
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 (12-ounce) package smoked chicken sausage
- 2 (8.8-ounce) packages Wild Rice Pilaf pre-cooked
- 2 cups halved Brussels sprouts
- 1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries
- Toppings as desired see note 2
Dressing
- 1-1/2 tablespoon clementine juice or orange juice
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
- 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉. Set out a 15 x 21-inch sheet pan or 2 smaller sheet pans. Peel the squash and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Cut the red onion into 1-inch chunks. Trim and cut Brussels sprouts in half. Thinly slice chicken sausage into coins. The recipe timing depends on vegetables cut to these sizes.
- Prepare all dressing ingredients in a jar. Put on the lid and shake vigorously to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use, being sure to shake before adding.
- On the large sheet pan, add the squash, red onions, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, and salt and pepper to taste. I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. With your hands, toss to generously coat everything and then spread in an even layer, leaving plenty of space for the veggies to roast. Add the tray to the preheated oven and roast for 10 minutes.
- Remove sheet pan from oven and add the Brussels sprouts, 1 more tablespoon olive oil, and another pinch of salt and pepper. I add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Toss everything together, spread in an even layer, and return to the oven for 10 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven, add sliced chicken sausage, and toss everything together. Again, spread in one even layer and return to the oven.
- Without opening the rice packets, knead and break up the rice with your hands to separate it into individual grains. No need to microwave or prepare the rice in any other way! Remove the pan from the oven and add rice, cranberries, pecans, parsley, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss everything together with a spatula, spread in an even layer, and return to the oven for 2 minutes.
- Remove the tray from the oven and toss once more. Drizzle on the dressing to preference and toss everything once more. Garnish with fresh herbs and cheese and enjoy immediately!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I used honeynut squash in lieu of butternut. If using again, I’d start the onions, then stir in the squash, sprouts and sausage together, as the squash was slightly overcooked, and the brussel sprouts were slightly lacking in flavor. I also like the sausage a little browner. With butternut squash, I’d add the sprouts and sausage together and roast until both are nicely browned, 20-25 min. However, even with the small imperfections, it is still a 5 and absolutely scrumptious!!! This was not only delicious, but comforting and nutritious!
Love all this feedback! So thrilled you enjoyed this! Thanks so much Melissa!
This is rediculously good! I made a it for last Thanksgiving’s dinner, and saved a third, (there were only 5 adults) to make Thanksgiving soup! With shredded Turkey breast meat and stock and broth, juice of another orange as well as half a lemon, green beans, Pearl onions, shredded carrots and celery, the soup was amazing in January— right when you really wish you had another holiday to celebrate. It’s great alone or over mashed potatoes and garnished with steamed peas and toasted pecans and cranberries. Serve with a potato garlic bread.
Delish! I am so thrilled to hear this! Thank you so much Mary! 🙂
Is 1 squash enough or will 2 be needed?
Unless its teeny, 1 squash should be plenty! 🙂
I have some regular (not pouches) of wild rice that I would like to use for this recipe. Can this be substituted and does it need to be precooked before adding it to the pan?
Yes, it would need to be fully cooked before adding to the pan 🙂 The pan will just warm it though again!
Hi there! I’m a bit confused about the amount of rice/number of packets. The mise en place image shows 2 packets, the pile of rice on the sheet pan looks like more than one packet, and the actual instructions say to break up rice chunks ‘without opening the rice packets’ but the ingredient list says to only buy 1 packet of rice, 8.8oz. Which do you recommend, 1 or 2 packets?
I’m so sorry Chelsey! Thanks for pointing that out, 2 packages is best for this recipe 🙂
Hey, your sister here! We just had this for dinner and it was seriously mind blowing! Soo easy and everyone loved it! It’s the perfect fall meal!
Yay! So happy to hear that 🙂
As your sister, I have to say we just had this for dinner and it was seriously mind blowing! Soo easy and everyone loved it! It’s the perfect fall meal!
Yay! So happy to hear that 🙂