Squash with Apples

This is a slow cooker side dish built in layers, like a savory-sweet lasagna of butternut squash and apples. Sliced squash and apple alternate with a brown sugar, butter, and flour mixture that melts down during the long cook into a sticky, caramelized glaze.

Mace is the spice doing the real work flavor-wise. It’s the lacy outer coating of the nutmeg seed, and it tastes similar but more delicate and floral. It pairs with squash and apples the way cinnamon does, but without overpowering the natural sweetness of the vegetables.

The flour mixed into the sugar and butter thickens the juices as the squash and apples release moisture. By the time it’s done, you’ve got tender slices coated in a buttery sauce rather than sitting in a pool of liquid.

Chef Tips

• Cut the squash and apple slices the same thickness (about ½ inch) so they cook at the same rate. Thin apple slices will turn to mush before the squash is tender.
• Use a firm baking apple like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn. Soft varieties like McIntosh fall apart during the long cook.
• Don’t skip peeling the squash. The skin doesn’t soften enough in a slow cooker to be pleasant to eat.

Variations

• Swap the mace for cinnamon and a pinch of ground cloves for a more traditional fall spice profile.
• Add a handful of dried cranberries between the layers for tartness and color.
• Drizzle with maple syrup instead of brown sugar for a deeper, more complex sweetness.