Honey Maple Squash

This Honey Maple Butternut Squash is an easy way to enjoy butternut squash – steam roasted with honey, maple syrup and butter.  You can’t go wrong with this winning combination.

I hadn’t planned on cooking squash but I couldn’t resist after I saw the pics online. I did, however, have to make some changes.  I omitted the rosemary and nuts because I didn’t have either.

I made this dish on a weeknight, not knowing what to expect.  I had my pork loin in the crockpot so all I had to worry about was a side when I got home from work.  My husband thought I was crazy for trying to tackle squash on a weeknight.  I decided I had to prove him wrong.

After making the dish, I found out how wrong I was.  This was harder than I thought.  First, actually cutting the squash in half is a feat – squash has extremely hard skin.  I had to put some serious muscle into it.  Next, I had to de-seed, gut and peel it.  Again, the skin is hard so I really had to bear down.  My final under-estimation was the time it takes to cook squash in the stove – at least 45 minutes to an hour.

In the end, after tasting this dish, I would do it all over again but I would use a different strategy.  I would cut, de-seed, and peel the squash in the morning and put it in the fridge so I can baste it and pop it in the stove when I get home.  I would do this after putting my pork loin in the crock pot since I have more free time in the morning, before work.

If you strategize, you can make this amazingly sweet, sea-salty squash during the week.  It’s too perfect to save for the weekends.

See below for the squash side dish I made to go with my pork loin crock pot meal from yesterday.

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Prep Time: 15 m

Cook Time: 1 hr

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Ingredients:

• 1 small butternut squash
• Cooking oil, for brushing
• 1/4cupmaple syrup
• 1/2 cup of honey
• 2 tbspbutter
• 1/2tspdried thyme leaves
• Sea salt and ground pepper
• 1 tbspmaple syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise.  Scoop out the seeds and pulp from the squash and discard. Using a vegetable peeler, peel off the skin to expose bright orange flesh. Place on prepared baking sheet, cut side down. Brush squash with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Whole squash

Cut the squash in half

Remove the seeds

Remove the skin

3. Remove squash halves to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut slits 1/4-inch apart in the squash, cutting almost but not all the way through. *Tip: I used chopsticks to act as a guard to prevent cutting too far down.

Use chopsticks as a guard

4. Return cut squash to the same baking sheet. Heat the 1/4 cup maple syrup and 2 Tbsp. butter in the microwave or a small saucepan until the butter is melted. Stir well to combine. Brush with maple/butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle dried thyme leaves over squash.  Pour 1/4 cup water in to bottom of pan, then return to 425 oven for 35 minutes.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper

Add thyme

Bake

5. Remove from oven.  Drizzle a bit of maple syrup over each half. Sprinkle with finishing salt.  Pair with a summer salad or pork loin.

Summer Salad

Pork Loin

Watch this easy video for more. Happy cooking!

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