Butternut Squash Hash with Apples, Ham and Goat Cheese

Start your day with this butternut squash hash recipe! A delicious combination of creamy butternut squash, tart apples, savory ham and tangy goat cheese, it's the ultimate comfort food!

There's no doubt that fall is the known for changing leaves, pumpkins and sweaters. But to me, fall is also the start of an epic food season: comfort food.

I'm not a big fan of cold weather, but I'm really great at looking forward to the all the different changes that come with a new season. Fall is my favorite for that very reason!

First, I love boots and wool socks and tights and warm clothes. Cute, cozy clothes are my fave, and I look forward to wearing them every year.

Secondly, I love all the foods that come with fall. Pumpkin, cinnamon, maple, ginger and cranberry all make me feel toasty and warm inside.

Two foods are at the top of my list every single autumn: butternut squash and apples. I love them separately and I love them together. I love them in savory dishes and I love them in desserts.

There are just so many delicious things you can do with butternut squash and apples. Fall is their time to shine, and they're both always in my kitchen throughout the season.

The great thing about both of these ingredients is that they go so well together, and it's so easy to make a meal with them. Plus, ham and butternut squash? If you've never tried it together, you must! It's one of my husband's favorite flavor combinations.

My husband was recently saying how much he liked hash for breakfast, and I couldn't bring myself to agree with him. I don't love potatoes or bell peppers. But most of all, the flavors of corned beef are way too strong for my taste.

But I love the idea of hash because it's such a fantastic comfort food. It's also quick if you make it right! I thought that if I could swap out the corned beef and the potatoes, I could come up with a new dish our whole family would love.

The first challenge was finding a different meat. I wanted something with a significant flavor. A breakfast-approved meat that had a good amount of saltiness and a great texture.

Ham for the win! Even better a pre-cooked, diced ham that's all ready to go. I love that I found something that saves me from the task of cutting ham into even pieces.

Once I had the ham figured out, I decided to use butternut squash instead of the potatoes you'd find in other hash. Butternut squash is my favorite of all the squashes.

I especially love that you can buy it already cubed and frozen. That and the Smithfield Anytime Favorites Diced Ham saves a ton of time for this recipe!

Using ingredients like squash and ham makes it easier to elevate the flavors of this ham and butternut squash hash.

In addition to the traditional ingredients of onion and eggs, I also tossed in apples, some spinach and a bit of goat cheese. Now that's my kind of hash!

How to make Butternut Squash Hash

Ingredients for Butternut Squash Hash

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 2 cups frozen butternut squash, cubed
• 1 apple, diced
• 3/4 cup diced ham
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions for how to make Butternut Squash Hash

1. Heat your olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the red onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
2. Add the apple, ham and butternut squash and stir gently for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the squash and apple are soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Add your spinach and make 3 wells among the contents of your skillet. Crack an egg into each one and let it cook for 1-2 minutes until the white is just cooked. Flip the eggs and cook on the other side, leaving the yolks runny.
4. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with goat cheese.

Scroll down to print this Butternut Squash Hash recipe!

My husband said that this was amazing, and I have to agree. He loved the high-protein ham and squash together. I thought the combination of goat cheese, apple and butternut squash was outstanding.

My kids gobbled up the ham and eggs, while tolerating the butternut squash, so I'm calling it a win!

Honestly, I'm planning on eating this at least once a week for the rest of the season. The Smithfield Anytime Favorites Diced Ham makes pulling together a delicious, flavorful meal so easy, it could definitely be a dinner as well as a breakfast!