A family favorite winter vegetable has always been butternut squash. There are many different types of squash and many different ways to cook it. It can be simmered on top of the stove, cooked in the microwave or pressure cooker and baked in the oven.
Different type of squash from the grocery store.
There are also tons of different ways to season squash. My mom used to actually cook it in a pressure cooker and mash it up with butter, salt, pepper, and of course, maple syrup.
Today, I’m going to bake it in the oven and then add a Granny Smith apple instead of the maple syrup. The tartness of the Granny Smith apple gives this dish a real zing! Adding cinnamon and nutmeg complete the flavors.
You can buy squash already peeled and cut at the grocery store. Or just peel it yourself. It will be a bit more expensive if you buy it already ready-peeled.
Butternut squash always stains your hands orange when you are cutting it. I wear disposable gloves when I’m preparing this squash. (Yes, I know it does look odd!)
Getting Ready to Make the Butternut Squash
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Cut top part of the squash from the bulb end.
Then peel it with a knife or…
…with a vegetable peeler.
Cut the bulb end in half
And remove (and discard) all the seeds and stringy bits with a spoon. (Just like when you are making a Jack-o-lantern.)
Chop the squash into one inch pieces. (You need about 3 cups in total)
With a vegetable peeler, peel two Granny Smith apples.
Then remove the core with a small knife.
Keep the apple on the cutting board when you do this step. If you are holding the apple in your hand while trying to remove the core, you could easily slip and cut the palm of you hand!
Now slice the apple
Put ½ of the squash into an 8 inch square baking dish
Layer one of the sliced apples on top
Add the rest of the squash
And now layer the second apple
Sprinkle on 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon of nutmeg.
Cover the dish with tin foil and bake it in the oven for about 45-55 minutes.
When the squash and apples are tender, remove the dish from the oven. Add 3 Tablespoons of butter, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of ground pepper. With your potato masher start mashing. Keep mashing until everything is smooth and well blended.
Enjoy!
P.S.: Watch this video if you’re interested in using butternut squash to make a great soup!
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will said:
I’ve definitely bookmarked this link, Kathy, and I am eager to try it out! . Here’s one of my favorites with butterneut squash:
Butternut Squash Soup:
1 Sqaush
1 – 2 Onions
1-2 TB oil for frying
tamari to taste
a few sprigs of flat-leaved parsely
Steam the squash, peeled and chopped into chunks, in a covered pot with an inch water at the bottom until it’s really soft. Meanwhile slice and sauté the onions them to desited shade of brown. ( I prefer them on the brown side)
then using a masher or a handblender blend the squash with the cooking water and add more to desired consistency.
add the fried onions with the oil (which has nice onion flavor) and tamari to taste (it tends to make the soup a slightly more borwn color — so to keep it bright orange, add only a bit and use regular salt for taste)…
let it simmer with the onions and tamari for 10 or so minutes, and at the last minute, throw in some chopped italian (flat leaved parsley)
This soup is also a good squash base which you can add other things, sour cream, coconut milk coriander ginger