Overloaded With Squash, Acorn, Buttercup, Apples, Try This!!

Yes, the holidays are coming, thinking of squash, this might just be the answer to your question!! As I have said before, I am an all kind of squash person. As I have also said before, my husband is not, or so he says.

He is like dealing with a little kid, if I doctor something up I might get him to try it at least. Been a challenge for almost 53 years, but am still not ready to throw in the towel...

This is one of my favorite ways to make acorn, or small butternut squash that he will consider albeit some of the time....

Thankfully my kids would eat everything and anything, so if he didn't, it would never get wasted...

Wash the outside good and cut in half, hollow out seeds, and you have what I call my vessel to work with!!

There are lots of stuffed squash recipes out there and they are all good in my opinion, but some are time consuming and if you have a tight time frame this is simple, easy, can be cooked basically at any temperature above 350 degrees therefore cooking along with any other items you may be making. I so hate using my oven for just one item, what a waste, heat wise, room wise, and time wise, why waste all the time and room and heat when several items can be going at once and save time and energy??

Of course dif times and baking temps will determine baking time, as well as size and kind of squash using, just adjust times by checking as you go along. Really hard to overcook squash this way....

For today my oven had to be at 400 for another recipe so that is what this was cooked at.

Line casserole dish or pan with foil and spray lightly

Place squash cut side up sprinkle with cinnamon or spice of choice

Peel, cut in half and core your apple of choice, place inside squash cut side up

Now here is where it gets fun..in cavity of apple place your choice of add ins, dried fruit, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup etc. I used dried diced apricots and maple syrup in mine today.

Cover and bake half an hour, (40-45 minutes if temp is less) uncover and bake 15 minutes longer, test for softness and if where you like it, remove from oven and mash in shell, top with a pat of butter if desired, or any topping you prefer, serve

OR: you can just scrape it all out of shell and mash in a serving bowl

Note: if your squash is large, just add thick apple slices in place of the half

Basically this is a squash, apple combo, and hello, if you don't have time or inclination for this, just cook and mash your squash your way and add in some already prepared applesauce, dried fruits, spices, you name it, jam, cranberry sauce, have done them all, your squash your choice!!