One of the best things about Fall is all the different kinds of squash that are available at rock-bottom prices. It's a great time to stock up on squash and you can easily cook up three or four at once, scoop the flesh out and freeze it for quick and easy recipes in the future!
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Roasted butternut squash is incredibly versatile and can be used for soups, pasta sauces and risotto (I love to us squash instead of pumpkin in my Pumpkin Risotto recipe) It also makes a great hash! Just sauté up some potato, onions and turkey sausage and cook until tender. Stir in some of the cooked and cubed butternut squash and top with a fried egg just before serving - delish!
If you aren't including butternut squash in your diet, you really should be. It is a good source of fiber, vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, and potassium. It is also an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin E!
I have to say, I cringe when I am at Wegmans and see people buying pre-cleaned and cut squash (as well as any other pre-cut vegetables). Of course, they can spend their money however they want, but you end up paying about 3 times the price when you do that. Once you learn how to roast squash (and it is so easy), you will never want to go back to paying someone else to clean it for you!
In my opinion, cutting the squash is the most difficult part of this recipe. I lay it on its side and use a long (and very sharp) chef's knife to cut it in half. If you use this method, placing it on a kitchen towel helps to keep it from rolling around. You can also slice of the very end without the stem, stand it upright and slice down the middle.
You can use it in in virtually anything that calls for canned pumpkin. I actually prefer it in some baked goods (like my pumpkin spice cake recipe), because it's not as tangy as pumpkin. If using this recipe, just keep in mind that it will be a little sweeter because of the brown sugar.
Scroll down for the instructions!
Oven Roasted Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 2 butternut squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F
- Wash the butternut squash and use a large, sharp knife to carefully cut it in half lengthwise.
- Use a spoon or fork to scrape out all of the seeds and membranes.
- In a small bowl, melt the butter and olive oil in the microwave, which should only take about 10 seconds.
- Place the squash on a large baking sheet and liberally brush it with the olive oil/butter mixture.
- Sprinkle the squash with salt and pepper and place it in the oven.
- Cook for 30 minutes, rotate the pan and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until fork tender and caramelized around the edges.
- To serve, you can eat it right out of the shell or scoop it out with a large spoon and cut it into cubes.
Great idea, I also roasted them cut in slices, but this way it seems much easier and you can fill up the whole oven for future seasons without butternut..
yep! that's exactly what I do....I scoop some out in chunks and some as "mush" and place them in freezer bags and freeze them!