I took another crack at the butternut squash today. It turned out quite a bit better than the last time. I think the problem before was that the squash wasn’t as fresh as it needed to be. Not that it was bad, it just didn’t have the right consistency anymore – it was a little too mushy around the edges. So if you (like I usually do) buy pre-cut cubes (Costco’s are great) make sure you get the furthest away best before date and check to make sure they are nice and firm when you go to cook them. If they’re not, maybe make soup instead.
This isn’t the lowest calorie vegetable dish you can make but it’s a crowd pleaser and makes a nice side dish for special occasion dinners (or just for snacking!) Unless your kids are going through a really picky stage, they’ll like this dish. And you will like making it! The prep work is minimal and once it’s in the oven you don’t have to do a thing.
- 2 lbs butternut squash cubes (shortcut – buy pre-cubed)
- 2 TBSP oilve oil
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan Cheese (or white cheese blend)
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp pepper
- 2 garlic cloves minced and 2 Tbsp parsley chopped (both optional)
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Put all ingredients into a large resealable plastic bag and combine (you can also mix in a bowl).
- Spread evenly on a single layer on a shallow baking dish. I've found that lining a cookie tray with parchment paper works really well. The cubes pop right off. Whatever you do, don't put them directly on the cookie tray – trust me it will never be the same.
- Cook for 40-50 minutes. The edges should be carmelized and golden. You can flip one of the cubes over to check the bottom, but otherwise leave them alone.
I completely forgot the garlic, but they were still great. Adding the parsley makes for a nicer presentation, but I was all out.
If you have leftovers, you can mash up the cooked squash with some pasta water to thin it out and use it as a pasta sauce.
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