A healthy creamy mustard sauce baked up with butternut squash and crispy maple mustard crusted salmon: this Dijon Maple Crusted Salmon and Butternut Squash is out of this world amazing!!!
Jump to RecipeI feel like everyone is either a ketchup or a mustard kind of person. Personally, I’ve always been totally team mustard. Whether it’s the classic yellow on a burger, Dijon with my fries (the best), or course ground in a vinaigrette, mustard is seriously the best. In this Dijon Maple Crusted Salmon and Butternut Squash, I use the savory spread as a part of a crispy crunchy crust salmon topping and in a healthier take on a creamy sauce. It’s truly the best, easy dinner. You have to try this one!
the breakdown…
This Dijon Maple Crusted Salmon and Butternut Squash is super quick, and can be made almost entirely in one pan. For starters, though, get going by microwaving that frozen butternut squash. Frozen veggies are truly my savior — especially when it comes to root vegetables that take forever to cook, like squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes. What usually takes 45 minutes to roast in the oven can easily be replicated with just four minutes in the microwave and some cooking time with the sauce. It’s the perfect trick for an easy weeknight dinner, if you ask me.
With that squash all softened once, it;s time to get going on the bulk of it: the creamy mustard pumpkin sauce. That’s right, I said pumpkin… once again. If you’ve seen any of my recent recipes, you’ll know that I’m pumpkin obsessed!! That being said, I’m probably not the type of obsessed you’re thinking of. While I love a good pumpkin spice latte or pumpkin cookie, my recent favorite hack has been to use pumpkin as a thickening agent. Packed with nutrients yet still super light, pumpkin is the perfect substitute for cream in just about any sauce — especially paired with a little bit of milk and chicken broth to loosen things up.
so much flavor…
That amazing texture doesn’t lack flavor, though. Rather, this sauce starts with caramelized onions sauteed up with tons of garlic, some dried oregano, dried parsley, and dried rosemary… and of course some bay leaves. Bay leaves truly bring in an iconic fall flavor to this dish, so don’t skip ’em;) Plus, you’ve got to stir in just a bit more dijon mustard to give everything a kick without being too overpowering. Mix all of the good seasonings and herbs with that phenomenal cream-like texture and some tender butternut squash and voila! You’ve got yourself a delicious sauce — perfect for nestling in some tangy crusted salmon.
Speaking of that salmon, let’s get down to the specifics. The salmon in this Dijon Maple Crusted Salmon and Butternut Squash recipe is really quite simple. No marinating, chopping, or searing necessary. Rather, you simply mix up all of the luscious panko topping ingredients and pop everything into the oven together! Plus, with some dijon mustard, spicy coarse ground mustard, pure maple syrup, salt, and garlic powder, this topping could not be any easier. Mix up all those good sweet and tangy flavors with some crispy crunchy panko (the superior breadcrumb, if you ask me), and you’ve got a perfect salmon topping. Make sure you really pat this topping into the salmon, though, as you don’t want anything to fall off in the oven. Pro tip? Don’t be afraid to use your fingers — they’re your best tool in the kitchen!!
let’s talk about that butternut squash…
Lastly, all you have to do is nestle that salmon into your butternut squash sauce, and pop everything into the oven at a high temp. I like to cook my salmon for about 12 minutes, then hit it with the broiler for another 3. I find that this is the perfect baking time for a medium cut of salmon that also allows everything to get crisped up. That being said, I left my cooking times in time frames, as every piece of salmon is going to be different (especially if you get the wild caught variety… that stuff can be super thin or super thick!!).
how to serve this up!!
Once everything is all cooked up, it’s time to serve! I love to serve this Dijon Maple Crusted Salmon and Butternut Squash up with a side of simply dressed mixed greens, sautéed spinach or kale, or couscous. Really, though, it doesn’t need much of a side at all. The butternut squash brings a nice heartiness to the dish, making it a pretty well-rounded meal in itself. Truly, though, however you serve this up, I know it will be a big hit. It’s the perfect easy weeknight dinner to incorporate some seafood into your weekly rotation — and it tastes freaking amazing.
I hope you love this Spicy Dijon Maple Salmon and Butternut Squash as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments below:)
Dijon Maple Crusted Salmon and Butternut Squash
Course: Main Course, Lunch, DinnerCuisine: American, Fall, Fusion, SeafoodDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes25
minutes35
minutesA healthy creamy mustard sauce baked up with butternut squash and crispy maple mustard crusted salmon: this Dijon Maple Crusted Salmon and Butternut Squash
is out of this world amazing!!!
Ingredients
20 oz frozen butternut squash
2 + 1 tbsp olive oil
1 sweet onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
1 cup milk or milk alternative*
½ cup chicken stock
1.5 lb salmon, filleted
2 tbsp spicy stone ground mustard
1 + 2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
Fresh parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Microwave your butternut squash for 4 minutes. It should be somewhat soft, but not fully cooked through.
- In a large cast iron skillet, heat the 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, toss in the onion and saute for 4-5 minutes, or until translucent. Then, mix in the garlic, dried herbs, bay leaves, pumpkin, and remaining 2 tbsp mustard and cook for another minute. Lastly, pour in the milk, chicken stock, and microwaved butternut squash. Bring the liquids to a boil, then cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, blot your salmon dry with a paper towel or napkin. In a small bowl to the side, whisk the coarse ground mustard, 1 tbsp of the dijon mustard, the maple syrup, salt, garlic powder, panko breadcrumbs, and the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Using your fingers, press the panko mixture into the top side of each salmon fillet. Set aside.
- Nestle the prepared salmon into the sauce and remove the skillet from the heat. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 14-16 minutes, or until the salmon is crisp and cooked through. If you would like an extra crispy salmon, switch the oven to a broiler setting for the final 3-5 minutes of cooking time.
- Serve the salmon over the butternut squash with lots of the sauce. Garnish with parsley and enjoy!
Notes
- You can use any milk for this recipe. I use almond milk, but skim, whole, oat, or cashew milk would also work.