Barefoot Bloggers: Caramelized Butternut Squash

I guess I lied on Monday when I told you to check back on Tuesday. I decided I would only be able to do three of the five recipes so I will be posting Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So for my second recipe I chose the Caramelized Butternut Squash. It is definitely that time of year in Minnesota - it has been very cold, even for MN. This recipe is for Butternut Squash but I picked up a Buttercup squash instead. You can pretty much use any of the winter squashes interchangeably.

The recipe is very easy to put together. I cut the recipe in half and used only one squash. The only tricky part was peeling the squash - This is probably a good reason to choose Butternut - I think the smooth squash would have been a lot easier to peel. Once I got past that the rest was a snap.

The squash tasted very good. It was a hit for the entire family, including Victor. The brown sugar just adds a little sweetness - not too much at all in my opinion. It is a little more effort than the way I normally roast squash just cut in half but this recipe will be a nice way to mix things up on occasion.

Caramelized Butternut Squash

(Source: Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, Page 151)

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 medium butternut squash (4 to 5 pounds total)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cut off and discard the ends of each butternut squash. Peel the squash, cut them in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch cubes and place them on a baking sheet. Add the melted butter, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. With clean hands, toss all the ingredients together and spread in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 45 to 55 minutes, until the squash is tender and the glaze begins to caramelize. While roasting, turn the squash a few times with a spatula, to be sure it browns evenly. Taste for seasonings and serve hot.