Hey there and happy Tuesday to you!

It is nice and crisp down here and Charlotte, and I’ve officially pulled out my jeans and scarves.

I’m kind of excited about it… I love fall

So yesterday I spent some quality time in the kitchen prepping some meals for the week. It took a bit of time but I’m glad it’s out of the way and I have dinner ready to go for the next few nights. The area was a complete disaster when I was done… it was kind of scary.

One of the dishes I made was a vegetable lasagna, and I pureed a butternut squash to mix with the marinara sauce (sounds funny, but it’s good- I promise. I’ll share the recipe later this week).

I will never forget the first time I ever tried to cut up a butternut squash. I was a sophomore in college, and that was back before Google was the go-to when you didn’t know how to do something (you know, the dark ages and all). I tried dice the squash with the skin on, and I almost chopped my hand off. I was so annoyed with the whole experience that I didn’t buy another butternut squash for years.

Fast forward to today and I’m a little older/wiser. Here’s how I prep my a butternut squash these days:

Step 1: Using a serrated knife, cut off the top and bottom of the squash.

Step 2: Cut the squash in half vertically.

Step 3: Scoop out the insides and lightly spray/coat the inside of the squash with olive oil.

Step 4: Place the squash face down on a baking sheet and roast on 350 F for ~45-60 minutes depending on the size of the squash (mine was medium and it was ready in 45 minutes). You will be able to tell when the squash is done because the skin will look a little bubbly.

Step 5: Once it’s cooked, the insides will easily separate from the skin and scoop right out!

This method is best used when the presentation of the squash is not important. (If you are wanting to dice/cube the squash to made roasted squash then remove the peel using a vegetable peeler after Step #3 and chop it up after that). 

I like to use butternut squash as a base for vegetable soup, mashed up like sweet potatoes or mixed in with marinara sauce in lasagna.

Butternut squash is a nutrient powerhouse that tastes kind of like sweet potato without as many carbohydrates. It’s high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, potassium and fiber.

Some preparation methods I’ve seen recommend cooking your squash face down in a dish of water. Be careful anytime you’re cooking a fruit/vegetable in water because this removes the water soluble vitamins. This is why I prefer to roast mine straight on the baking sheet.

Hope you have a great day!! <3