Madeline chooses a butternut squash at the farmers market.
As fall arrives so do many delicious winter squash varieties in a multitude of colors, shapes, and sizes. These slightly sweet gourds are delicious prepared many ways and once you crack them open they are really easy to cook.
Scrape out seeds with a spoon.
The three most popular ways to cook winter squash are in the oven, in the microwave, or steamed in a pot (a slow cooker makes it super easy!). My favorite method is in the oven, but for the recipe below you can cook your squash however you prefer until it is tender, then scrape it from the skin and proceed with your recipe. If this is your first time cooking winter squash, you’re going to love it!
First, thoroughly rinse the outside of your squash then carefully cut it in half. Use a metal spoon to scrape the seeds from the cavity of the squash. The seeds can be cleaned and roasted like pumpkin seeds. They are delicious. Place the squash, cut-side-down, in an oven-safe pan with about 1/2″ of water. Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes or until fork tender.
If you cook your squash a little longer it gets even easier to peel.
To steam in a slow cooker, cut squash and place in a slow-cooker with about 1/2 cup of water. Put on lid and cook on high for about 4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours, until it is as tender as you like it.
It is so easy to scoop the squash out of the skin after cooking.
