Butternut Squash?

darkmavis

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I know we had talked about this before, I think in my lemon thread a while ago actually, but I am bringing it up again.

What should I do with a butternut squash I bought? I'd like to make something with it either today, or for Thanksgiving. I've been looking online for recipes (seems to mostly be pureed soups), but I thought I'd ask here too.

Thanks for any ideas!
 

farleyv

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Just the other night, Alton Brown made a pumpkin pie, but said you can use butternut squash instead. I might try it. I ve make squash muffins and bread before. there should be recipes out there for those.

My mom used to mix butternut with hubbard and buttercup squash. Bake, mix together, add melted butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper. I always put in a bit of maple syrup too. But you could make it just with the butternut.

Put in a casserole and bake. OMG, So Good!!! I almost loved it more than her dressing, that I have never been able to replicate!!

Let us know what you end up doing.
 
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darkmavis

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Interesting... thanks for the ideas!

How would I use it in a pasta sauce? (i really know nothing about thus vegetable, but I want to learn!)

The brown sugar stuff sounds good, but I'm not very big on sweet dishes, and I don't know if our guests are either and I'd hate to have lots of leftovers. For example, whenever there was a sweet potato casserole at thanksgiving dinner, I'd take a about a bite's worth for my plate. That was more than enough for me. But like i said, it does sound good.... Someone's bringing a pumpkin pie, so I'll skip the pie idea for now.

I was just looking through a slow-cooker cookbook I just got, it's very meaty (i'm vegetarian) but I find it easy to replace meat with.. non-meat (
), and there is something called Sausage and Butternut Squash Stew. Trader Joes does some really tasty veggie sausages, I might get some and try it! Oh, not today though, well maybe, if I do it now... unless I did it on the stove instead. I'll think about it, while I wait for more ideas to trickle in.
 

mystik spiral

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Butternut squash soup is sooo good, but it is a time investment, since you have to peel the squash (a big pain) and puree the soup for smoothy goodness. You could also bake it with just some butter and maple syrup, it's not quite as sweet as the brown sugar, and very tasty!
 

nanner

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Here's a recipe from Weight Watchers. I gave it to a couple of friends of mine who aren't on Weight Watchers, and they made it and loved it! Lots of stores have already cut-up butternut squash, so you don't have to bother with peeling and cutting - it's a pain to cut up. You can find it in the fresh vegetable section, usually in the cold area, in nice little packages wrapped with Cling-Wrap.
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Spice-Roasted Butternut Squash and Onions

Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 25 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

The aroma of roasted, spice-coated squash is the essence of fall. A wonderful addition to any autumn menu.


Ingredients

1 spray(s) cooking spray
2 1/4 pound(s) butternut squash, fresh, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium red onion(s), halved and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
3 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a large nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray.

Place squash and onion on prepared baking sheet; drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with garam masala, salt and pepper; toss to coat.

Roast, tossing about halfway through cooking, until squash and onions are tender and slightly browned, about 25 minutes.

Transfer vegetables to a serving platter or bowl and sprinkle with cilantro; toss to coat. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.
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Or....

I was going to try this recipe, but all the pre-cut butternut squash was gone at every store I went to! Bummer! But it looks so good!
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Pasta with Butternut Squash and Sage

Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 10 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

The slightly tart buttermilk in this creamy pasta sauce goes beautifully with the sweet butternut squash. Fresh sage just seals the deal.

Ingredients

1 spray(s) cooking spray
20 oz butternut squash, fresh, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch chunks*
8 oz uncooked bow ties
1/8 tsp table salt, for cooking pasta
1 cup(s) buttermilk
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
5 1/3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano recommended, divided (1/4 cup plus 4 tsp)
3 Tbsp fresh sage, minced

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Place squash on prepared baking sheet and roast until tender and starting to caramelize, about 25 to 30 minutes.**

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. After squash has been roasting for about 15 minutes, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and return to pot.

Add squash, buttermilk, salt and pepper to pot; toss over low heat to warm through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and sage; toss to mix and coat.


Spoon about 1 1/2 cups of pasta into each of 4 serving bowls; top each with 1 teaspoon of remaining Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
*We used a 20 ounce bag of fresh, peeled squash to help streamline the recipeâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s preparation but you can peel and cube a 1 1/2 pound squash yourself if you prefer.

**You can microwave the squash instead of roasting it: Put squash in a shallow microwave-safe baking dish or container with 1/4 cup of water. Cover and microwave until tender, about 10 minutes; drain.

If you donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t like sage, this recipe is also delicious with fresh basil or chives.

This dish does not reheat well. We recommend you make it just before youâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re ready to serve it.
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butzie

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Do you have a microwave? Just pierce the skin in various places and cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Cut in pieces and seed, then just drizzle with maple syrup. You don't have to peel it. Very easy for t-day.
 

Willowy

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Originally Posted by butzie

Do you have a microwave? Just pierce the skin in various places and cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Cut in pieces and seed, then just drizzle with maple syrup. You don't have to peel it. Very easy for t-day.
Except I don't like it sweet, so I put butter and salt on it.
 

ruthyb

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I have only ever used it for my kids when they were babies and i love it, I will try one day and make something else with it
x
 

Winchester

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I've not used it as a sauce for pasta or anything.

Usually, I roast it with other vegetables in this recipe from the Barefoot Contessa:

Roasted Winter Vegetables

1 pound carrots, peeled
1 pound parsnips, peeled
1 large sweet potato, peeled
1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds) peeled and seeded
3 Tbsp. good olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, and butternut squash into 1-to-1-3/4 inch cubes. All vegetables shrink while cooking, so don't cut them too small.

Place all the vegetables in a single layer on two sheet pans. Drizzle them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss well. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender, turning once with a metal spatula.

Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste, and serve hot. Serves 8.

And then you can use the roasted vegetables to make this soup, also from the BC:

Roasted Winter Vegetable Soup

6-8 cups chicken stock
1 recipe Roasted Winter Vegetables
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For serving:
Croutons
Good olive oil

In a large saucepan, heat 6 cups of chicken stock. In two batches, coarsely puree the roasted vegetables and the chicken stock in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pour the soup back into the pot and season to taste. Thin with more chicken stock and reheat. The soup should be thick, but not like a vegetable puree, so add more chicken stock and/or water until it's the consistency you like.

Serve with croutons and a drizzle of good olive oil. Serves 6-8.
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I use the same method just to roast the squash. Peel, chunk, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes. In fact, I did that one night last week. We're big roasted squash fans.
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This recipe is from 50 Best Mashed Potatoes by Sarah Reynolds....I've been wanting to try a mashed potato and squash recipe. It's good, esp with the browned butter. DH said it's a keeper.

Mashed Potatoes with Butternut Squash

1 medium butternut squash (2 lb.), halved lengthwise and seeded
1 lb. baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup hot milk
1/2 tsp grated orange zest
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch of cayenne

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a jelly-roll pan with foil. Place the squash halves cut sides down on the foil. Bake 1 hour or until tender. Turn the squash over and let cool.

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by one inch. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain.

In a small skillet, melt the butter over low. Cook until browned, about 2 minutes, and set aside.

Return the hot potatoes to the pan. Mash with a potato masher until smooth. Add milk and mash until blended. With a spoon, scoop squash into the potatoes. Add half of the browned butter, the orange zest, salt, and cayenne. Mash until blended. Reheat over low heat, stirring constantly, until hot. Turn into a serving dish and make indentations with the back of a spoon. Drizzle remaining butter over the top. Makes 6 servings.

What I do: I use my mixer to whip the squash, orange zest and cayenne, then put the squash into a bowl. I whip the potatoes, using about half of the browned butter. Turn the potatoes into the bowl and cut to marble the squash and potatoes. Sprinkle a bit of freshly grated black pepper over the top and then the remaining browned butter. Cover with foil and put into the oven to keep warm while preparing the rest of the meal.
 
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