Favorite ways to cook winter squash?

There are a lot of squash lasagna recipes floating around, this is a good one:

Only: it’s a lot of work. And two substitutions made a world of difference.
The first time I made this dish it was delish. My guests had thirds.
The second time: meh. Here’s why:

Turkey: why is some ground turkey gamey? First time I bought the turkey at WF, the second time at Costco. 2/3 white meat, 1/3 dark. Next time I’ll stick to WF and pre-prepare the turkey to be on the safe side.

Stock: substituted a good beef stock the first time because I had it on hand. Great! Second time used a meh chicken stock. Nope.

Squash: first time I roasted fresh squash. Second time I roasted frozen cubed butternut squash from Costco. Please tell me this made no difference (I don’t know!) because it was SO much easier!

I really love lasagna, I really love squash, and when this worked it was just terrific.

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Curried in soup with goat cheese and roasted pepitas on top.

squash smoothies, muffins and baked pudding my wife will start making throughout Fall.

I had a roasted pumpkin, coconut milk and protein shake for breakfast.

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I love butternut squash ravioli but too often the flavor is inadequate and I’m too lazy to make it myself. Instead I do a deconstructed version : butternut, sage, béchamel, etc. tossed with cooked pasta.

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Same here! Store-bought versions of butternut squash or pumpkin ravioli have lured me. Never enough flavor, though. So I do something similar with baked pasta, usually dried penne.

Do you use fresh or dried pasta for your prep, @Robin_MacLean? Do you have a favorite shape?

I generally find winter squashes too sweet on their own, so I’m not a fan of recipes that add a sweetener. But I do like this one (although I leave out the maple syrup):

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Thanks for the idea @nonaggie. I have used mashed and seasoned butternut squash to top baguette slices for garnishing bowls of black bean soup. But that’s pretty much an add-on, and this prep looks flavorful enough to stand on its own.

Hmmm, I have some balsamic vinegar I’d like to try out with this recipe.

Ditto to peeling. 3 minutes on high for a large whole butternut. Let it cool, and a swivel peeler makes easy work of the skin.

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I’m even lazier, apparently. I microwave butternut to make it soft enough to cut, but I’ve stopped peeling. Obviously not an option with harder skinned squashes, but I find butternut skin perfectly edible.

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Thanks to the recipe you shared for roasted delicata squash salad, last night I was inspired to grill a couple of small delicatas. When the squash was ready, I sliced it and tossed it into a skillet with torn spinach leaves, olive oil, and a dollop of sambal manis (a type of chile paste) just until the spinach wilted. Marcona almonds, sweet and sour pickled onions, and labne to garnish.

Much appreciated, @Ttrockwood. I can see myself riffing on that squash salad recipe over and over again.

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Sounds good. Seasonings can vary but the basic oil, season and roast is always a winner. Hit it at the sweet spot of caramelization and it’s always a winner

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My gosh that is gorgeous! That sounds like a delicious adaptation, especially those pickled onions! i love any veggies from the grill… (especially since i don’t have one myself) glad you enjoyed it :):grin:

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I came up with this when I had some leftover meatballs in a tomato sauce and a squash that needed using up. Also works well with leftover with leftover Bolognese sauce or chilli con carne.

Slice a butternut squash in half length ways and de-seed, add a splash of olive oil and bake one half or both depending on amount of leftover meatballs/ Bolognese/chilli.

Once the squash flesh ii soft I scoop out the flesh and combine with the chopped meat balls, the remainder of the sauce and some kecap manis and put it back in the squash skin. Sprinkle on cheddar cheese and put back in the oven until golden brown.

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Amazing timing, @paprikaboy. My neighbor gave me a jar of sambal manis last week and mentioned that the market in the town center sells kecap manis. Off to the store I went.

Now I have two new-to-me condiments that promise to pair well with our stockpile of winter squash.

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I was just about to recommend the recipe from Jerusalem too! It’s one of my favorites :slight_smile:

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Tried this today and what a difference! Peeling was easily twice as fast.

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Butternut squash vindaloo! Never thought of this one. Last night we went to our neighborhood Indian restaurant and there were cubes of butternut in the lamb vindaloo dish. I had not seen that done before. Spicy, sweet, hearty.

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Timely topic

I just made butternut squash last night. Cubed, seasoned and roasted.
Love the how the sugars caramelize

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Looks wonderful. Now dinner’s already on my mind.

Yes! Winter squash is great in any kind of indian curry dish. Great in a coconut milk base with whatever curry paste you like, some red lentils and the cubed squash- lots of actual recipes out there that are similar. Makes for a fairly easy one pot meal, great for fall/winter dinners.

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Kecap Manis is one of my favorite sauces/condiments. In Oselund’s “Cradle of Flavor” he has a great dipping sauce that combines lime juice with Kecap Manis and some other ingredients. He suggests this for Chicken Satay, but the sauce is so delicious, we enjoy it with other items as well.

The lime juice balances the sweetness of the Kecap Manis in the most complimentary way.

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