Pan Fried Butternut Squash



Butternut squash seed cavity -- a perfect heart!

 I have always loved butternut squash. I grew up on a farm where we had a huge garden. We prepared our squash simply by cutting it into wedges after taking the seeds out and baking it  for an hour in a casserole dish, covered, with a little water in the bottom. I still do that sometimes. 350 degrees seems to work. But I have found that the microwave works also for 15 to 20 minutes and turning it halfway through. You just can't make as much at one time. I like to freeze leftovers.
After it is cooled a little, it's so easy to scrape out of the shell and just smash with a fork. I still like mine with salt and pepper, but the rest of my family likes brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice in theirs. We started growing butternut squash last year and tried to think of other ways to use it. I know my mom used to bake with it - pies and bars. It is similar to pumpkin.

We heard that peeling, cubing, and roasting it was good. Since then, we have fried it in a pan and roasted it in the oven at about 425 degrees F. This is my husbands favorite way to eat the squash. It does get kind of soft in the oven. Broiling it may work better. We haven't tried that yet. Our favorite is in a skillet at a high temperature, so it browns without getting too soft too quickly. Check it out. It's simple with olive oil and crushed tyme. Although this recipe is easy to change for how much it makes, it does work better when there is only one layer of squash in the skillet.

Pan Fried Butternut Squash          
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 t. crushed dried rosemary
1/2 t. salt
pepper to taste
6 c. butternut squash, cubed and peeled

Pour 1/2 T. of olive oil in the skillet and turn the stove to high. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and pour mixture into the pan. Be cautious with the high temperature. Turn squash occasionally when it starts to brown. Flip gently scraping under the squash to avoid tearing the pieces. Cook until browned and softened but firm, about 15 minutes.

My mother always makes it the traditional way for Thanksgiving because that's the way her grandchildren like it, but here is another option for a tasty vegetable for the Thanksgiving table.