1 cup of cubed butternut squash has a mere 63 calories, no fat, 3g of fiber and 1g of protein. I'll admit, I first started eating it because it was a low calorie substitute for potatoes, then... I fell in love.
The golden flesh of the butternut is sweet and nutty. It can be roasted, boiled, mashed, pureed, or even grilled. The seeds are edible. The skin is edible. You can use it in breads, muffins, soups. The possibilities are really endless!
I recorded this video yesterday sharing a few ways you can use a large squash. It includes some cutting tips, how I roast the seeds and, of course, some Little Guy silliness (towards the end.) Below the video are links to a few of my butternut squash ideas.
- Butternut Squash Fries
- Butternut Carrot Chicken Soup/Stew (what I make in the video)
- Winter Squash Soup with Roasted Seeds
- Bulgur Stuffed Pork with Butternut Squash & Apples
- Butternut Squash Stew with Bulgur
- The "I Almost Nailed Them" Roasted Butternut Squash Muffins
- Butternut Squash Pizza
- Roasted Butternut Squash Yumminess for Baby
Are you a butternut newbie? Or have you been eating it for years? As a butternut squash immigrant I'm making it a personal mission to inspire others who may have not had the opportunity to try this amazing vegetable.
raquel
that is a great video and I love you bot he is sweet=)
Gail
Can't believe I tossed out my butternut squash seeds! And as I was tossing them in the trash I was thinking "hmmm, wonder if you can roast these like pumpkin seeds?"
And for scooping out the innards, I use a grapefruit spoon. The serrated edges help remove the stringy stuff.
valerie
I grew up eating squash for Thanksgiving. My grandma would bake it and then scoop out the flesh and mix it with butter, salt, and pepper. I would eat more squash than potato. My husband isn't a big fan because of the texture. I did cube it up and stir fry it on high heat once so it was crispy. That's the only way he'll eat it. I could eat squash every day.
Debbie
Roni,
After watching your video maybe I have just enough courage to tackle cutting up and cooking a butternut squash. (I have bought the precut ones, but they are so expensive, and hard to find)
I think I'll try your butternut squash stew with chicken and carrots. (I also like the idea of using a cut up pork chop in place of the chicken. That is a great idea!)
P.S. Your Little Guy is darling in the video, and you do a great job! You are so enthusiastic, it almost makes ME excited about cooking! LOL!
roni
Julie - They have LONG shelf live. Weeks at least. You'll know it's going because you'll see and feel soft spots. I'm sure it's fine. Thanks for the kind words! 🙂
Julie
Another awesome video, as always.
I am so with you on the "winter squash obsession". Honestly, I see myself reaching for kabocha, butternut, acorn, or spaghetti every week while i'm doing groceries. CRAZINESS.
I had a question though..how long do butternut squash usually last? When I saw this video, I was about to add butternut squash to my grocery list for the weekend, but I realized I actually bought one few weeks ago and had not use it yet. so...how would I know if it's gone bad? Cause I'd really like to try your stew anytime soon...
Thanks, Roni! 🙂
Barbara
I also love butternut squash. To be honest I to love all squashes. Thank you for all the differ ideas.
roni
hey.. whatever works! You could roast a whole once and then tore the puree. It lasts quite some time. I'm curious if you could taste a difference.
Reinaldo
Nice vid! What I do for a substitute of mashed potatoes is just microwave about half the piece of squash you roasted (because is my portion size and no one else would eat squash in my house) for about 3 minutes, skin up. Then you scoop out what's cooked, nuke it for about 2 more minutes and scoop the rest.
Maybe I'm missing some flavors from the roasting process, but it is faster and you can always season the puree later, right?
roni
Stephanie - It should feel heavy, firm, and free of blemishes. Make sure there are no cuts as mold will grow in them. Older ones will be more bruised and may have a dryer texture.
Jessica
I am a huge fan of butternut squash (even grew it in my garden this year). And the chefs are catching on, I had an amazing butternut squash creme brulee this past weekend. My favorite way is either as ravioli with sage butter sauce or just mashed under some salmon.
Stephanie
Any advice on how to pick a good butternut squash at the grocery store? The employee couldn't help me and the one I picked the one time I tried was spongy and dry. I want to try them though!