Butternut Squash: Ugly Cousin in the Garden is now the “Rock Star” Squash!
One thing I love about gardening (okay, I’ll let you in on a picture of “the guys” working in our yard a few weeks ago, expanding some of our beds), is that if you plan it right and think ahead, you can utilize all of the produce, even if that means cutting it up and freezing for future use.
(And yes that’s Haggis, our Cairn, coming your way.)
When we made German Potato Butternut Sausage Soup last week, we actually used some of our butternut squash that we pulled from the garden in the fall!
Can you believe that? That’s because we kept it in a cool place all winter long.
My husband recently reminded me that butternut, which used to be the “ugly cousin” in the garden, is now the “rockstar” squash. Everyone wants to grow it and cook with it!
I thought that was so funny, yet so true.
Butternut is the rage right now. I mean, even Costco sells it in bulk in their refrigerated section already peeled and cut. And every cookbook and magazine around has a butternut squash recipe, it seems. (I’ll be posting my favorite Butternut Risotto recipe later this week.)
Here’s some facts about butternut squash that you may not know:
-Butternut is a winter squash.-It can be stored for most of the winter in a cool dry place.
-When you only need part of it for a meal, cook the whole thing and then freeze (airtight container or zip bag) the leftovers.
-You can peel, cut it up, Ziploc it, and freeze it raw.
-You can make soup ahead of time and freeze, or freeze the puree.
-So many options!
-The longer it sits, the flavor actually comes out more. Yummy!
Roasting Butternut Squash
Preheat the oven to 400. Lightly oil a shallow baking pan. Peel the squash and cut into 1″ pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and sea salt. (For a little sweetness, a tiny bit of maple syrup.) Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until softened.
What’s your favorite way to cook with butternut squash?
Or what squash do you cook the most with?
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
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I LOVE the Lean Cuisine Butternut Squash ravioli and I am going to make it my mission to find a recipe….
Surely butternut squash is my fav & roasting is my favorite preparation. I like to roast it at least 30-40 minutes till the edges are crispy & caramelized. We sometimes have a mix of roasted veggies – such as butternut squash , parsnips & pearl onions (I “cheat” there & throw in a bag of frozen pearl onions.). I use olive oil for the roasting & sometimes drizzle just a little hazelnut oil on at the end & sprinkle with some toasted hazelnuts. Sprinkled with crunchy salt, pepper & dried thyme….deeee-vine! We like to make extra to put on pizza on Fridays ~ white pizza with olive oil, butternut, goat cheese, bacon & carmelized onions. Ohh…I’m hungry :)
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The first time I cooked it I boiled it in water. I ate it in a bowl like cereal with brown sugar and milk, served it as a hot side dish with butter and added it and the water I cooked it in to my smoothies. Next I baked it and …..
Would love to see more about your gardening!!! I can always use tips and inspiration!
We like it sliced, layered in the pan & drizzled with olive oil. Dust with salt & pepper, and sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese. You can sprinkle with some bread crumbs too, mixed with the parmesan. Bake and enjoy!!! Mmmmmmmm.
to be honest, I’ve never used it. Guess I’ll need to give it a try now (C:
I just keep pureed BN squash around… and throw it in everything from spaghetti to shepherd’s pie and pancakes… it’s a great filler and so good for you… my boys won’t eat veggies so anything they get is hidden “Super Spy” style in there regularly scheduled meals… I have to confess though… mama just buys the organic canned stuff.. maybe I’ll venture out and actually grow some this year though:)
We really like butternut and spagetti squash!
My parents gave me quite a bit of butternut squash from their fall garden and I have been adding it to meals once a week. So far my favorite way to cook it is to slice it in half, scoop out the seeds, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt, cracked pepper and add a tsp of brown sugar. I bake it at 350 for 45+ minutes. It always turns out great.
Hey Sandy,
I was given some GORGEOUS butternut late autumn. Forgot about it among the exterior decorations for about a week during which it froze solid…instead of throwing it away, I thawed it, cut, peeled and seeded it and mashed the icy flesh into a ziploc. Threw in freezer. And It STILL cooks up beautifully! Simply warmed up with salt, cinnamon and maple sugar.
Do you grow spaghetti squash? It is so low carb that we eat often. I am planning to grow some this year, any tips?
I like to cut it up in chunks, and toss them in olive oil and salt and pepper! Bake in the oven until tender but still crispy. So good!
I did make butternut squash soup once (with cream cheese and cayenne pepper…mmmm!!) but it was so hard to peel the squash that I haven’t repeated it! Do you have any tricks up your sleeve to make it easier?
just came across your blog! you have some great insights on your posts! wow that looks AMAZING! great pictures! xo
That’s what this stuff is!! My housekeeper brings me these ALL OF THE TIME and my refrigerator is as big as a dorm-sized one! I did cook it and puree it, and thought I’d through some in a spaghetti sauce. I’m looking forward to your recipes!!!!!!!! {I made a gluten free version of your strawberry pie the other night and the troops LOVED it!}
I love pureed butternut soup! It screams cozy to me. I have to say though my favorite squash is spaghetti squash tossed with a little butter, garlic and curry. YUM.