Different Ways To Use Butternut Squash

Ways to Use Butternut Squash

Do you pass by the fall produce because you don't know what to do with things like butternut squash? We have some tips for you that'll make butternut squash your new best friend. Below its tough skin is a tasty, low-calorie epicenter of nutrients, potassium, and fiber waiting for you to discover. Our tips will get you started cooking with the nutty and slightly sweet flavor of butternut squash.

Sauté It: Dice up butternut squash and sauté it in olive oil and minced garlic. Generously add salt and pepper. When it's soft, yet firm, add cubes into creamy soups and chili for a sweet tang.

Roast It: Bake squash cubes for a savory, sweet side dish. Line a baking sheet with foil. Put 3 cups of cubed butternut squash into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with seasoning mix of salt, pepper, a pinch of cumin, and chili powder. Bake cubes at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Snack On It: Move over Kale Chips and make way for Butternut Squash Chips:

Ingredients:

• 2 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and sliced into rounds of 1/8-inch thickness
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¾ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt (kosher recommended)

Instructions:

1. Boil rounds for 2 minutes in water, remove, and put on paper towel to dry.
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Take dry squash rounds, put in large bowl and add oil, chili powder, and salt and toss.
4. Put chips on baking sheet.
5. Bake 30 minutes, flip, and bake another 30 minutes until crispy and slightly burnt around the edges.
6. Cool chips down to crisp them up.

Make an Easier Soup: Everyone agrees that you need some muscle to dismantle a butternut squash. So why not let the oven do the heavy work for you (or, use this Food Lion recipe with convenient frozen butternut squash cubes)? Prep your fresh squash before making this soup so you don' t have to peel or dice a hard, raw squash:

1. Cut two butternut squashes in half, scrape out seeds.
2. Put whole squashes in the microwave for a few minutes to soften them up.
3. Put the squash on an aluminum lined baking sheet.
4. Generously brush on melted butter and season heavily with salt and pepper.
5. Bake in a 400-degree oven for an hour.
6. When roasted squash is browned on the edges and soft, let cool down and scrape out flesh with a spoon.

Create the base of the soup by sautéing until soft a peeled, chopped tart apple and ½ of a chopped onion in melted butter. Add to pan the squash scraped out of skin, 2 ½ cups broth (chicken or vegetable), 2 ½ cups water, plus salt and pepper. Boil mixture, then simmer 15 minutes. Turn off heat, add 1/3 cup of cream. Blend soup with an immersion blender to make it rich, creamy and smooth.

For more fun recipes using butternut squash, visit Foodlion.com.