When I got nervous about the possibility of not getting my hands on canned pumpkin this year, I bought a couple of Butternut Squash instead to use in my pumpkin bars. Well, I am now the proud owner of 8 cans of pumpkin...so I had to find a new use for the squash. I'm not much of a squash person. I don't want it with sugar and butter, so I looked for a savory recipe. I came across Garlicky Baked Butternut Squash. It sounded promising!
First task...peel this awkward shape!
Mission accomplished!
Remove seeds and chop into small cubes.
In another bowl- mix garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and I used sage.
Toss squash in garlic mixture and put in a greased baking dish. Top with fresh grated Parmesan Cheese.
It smelled good, but when I pulled it from the oven to sample a taste- I didn't like it :( Not wanting to waste it...I threw it in the soup pot.
I added chicken broth to thin it, more Parmesan cheese and LOTS more salt and pepper. I used my immersion blender to puree it.
This was my dinner- a bowl of soup with a slice of Whole Wheat Pretzel Bread. Not bad...but I will know better than to buy squash again. It's just not my thing!
I'm not a squash lover, either. But, for what it's worth, I occasionally puree a few butternut squashes (is "squashes" a word? lol) and freeze it in ice cube trays to add as a hidden ingredient to things such as macaroni and cheese (actually makes it taste even better, in my opinion) and spaghetti sauce. Just cut the squash in half, clean out the seeds and pulp, and roast it meat-side down. (This is nice because you don't have to try to peel it. You'll be able to scoop it right out of the skin!)
ReplyDeleteBy the way, do you know something I don't know about canned pumpkin??
I couldn't find canned pumpkin here- and both Hy-Vee and Fareway were not sure they would get it before November this year (due to bad crops last year). However, I scored some at Marion Drug town! Thanks for the idea- I actually have a second squash I was trying to figure out what to do!
ReplyDeleteKathleen, I stumbled upon your blog from All Recipes when you posted your Stuffed Green Pepper recipe. I love reading about the food you make because it looks so good and when I try it it actually tastes delicious (unlike this other recipe blog that I read and tried a recipe from it, my husband delicately said it tasted like vomit and asked me to never make anything from that site again!)
ReplyDeleteWe are not big squash fans either BUT we were at a dinner party the other night and the hostess served this butternut squash soup that was delish! So hearty and the perfect dish for a cool autumn evening. If you're still looking for a use for the second squash, it is Butternut Squash Soup II from All Recipes.
I've made two separate batches already, and froze a bunch in my freezer for a quick, yummy lunch.
I served it with your mozzarella basil bread and it was perfect. The hubby and I gobbled it down and even my little 8 month old loved it.
It's really easy to make, the only modification I did to the recipe was to throw in 2 cloves of garlic. I just tossed the whole squash in the oven at 400 for 20 minutes (while making my lazy-mom dinner of chicken fingers!) and let it cool and then cut it in half and scooped all the flesh out with a spoon as easy as that. It's another excuse to use your immersion blender! My favorite part of making a homemade soup.
Thanks for your blog, I do love your recipes and food stories!
Thanks for your comments Crystal! I'll check out that recipe for sure :) If you like the Mozzarella Basil Bread, check out my recipe for the Parmesan Peppercorn...so good!
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