Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash. Yum! A few weeks ago I bought a baby butternut squash. It sat in my fridge for a week, waiting for me. I wasn't exactly sure what to do with it. So I decided to do a mock mini Thanksgiving dinner for myself. I baked some chicken, made a frozen bag of mashed potatoes, and I cubed that butternut squash. With it I put maple syrup, melted butter, half an onion, garlic, salt and pepper, and for a kick, crushed red pepper. Cooked it at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Usually, people put brown sugar or marshmallows on squash, but I love maple syrup on fish and mashed potatoes, so I decided to try something new. It was perfect. Crunchy on the outside and soft and mushy in the middle! I was so excited about this recipe, I wanted to make it for my family. For my birthday my mother bought a London broil and marinated it in honey and garlic. As a side I wanted real mashed potatoes and of course, butternut squash. I cooked the sides. Hey, if you want something done right, do it yourself. So I was pretty excited about everyone trying the squash. I kept checking it and checking it and it wasn't exactly caramelizing like I wanted it to and it was really sweet. However, it was cooked all the way through and it was scrumptious. All night and the next morning I couldn't figure out why it didn't caramelize like the way I wanted it to. Was it the altitude? No. Different oven? No. Did I forget to add something? YES I DID! The melted butter and garlic! How could I forget that?! It didn't turn into a beautiful golden brown because I forgot the butter and it was sweeter than last time. Melted butter and garlic. How on earth could I forget those two key ingredients? Anyway, my family still liked it, though it was just like eating melted sugar, in my opinion. Next time, I'll remember the butter.

Recipe for Butternut Squash
Ingredients:
- 1 to 2 baby butternut squashes, cubed
- Half an onion, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- One cup of syrup, or until completely coated
- 1 Tbsp of garlic, minced
- Half a stick of butter
- Crushed red pepper, optional
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish, or deep cookie sheet.
- Stir with hands, of course!
- Cook in oven for 35 minutes.
- Check tenderness. Remember crunchiness on the outside, soft on the inside.
- Enjoy! Oh and don't forget the butter!


"Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts!" -James Beard