Heather says:
This autumn side dish is nearly as easy as the sweet version. Use herbs that best complement other elements of the meal. Consider using thyme instead of rosemary or stick with black pepper if neither seem to complement the main course.
Ingredients:
- Butternut squash, halved & seeded
- water
- Turkey stock or chicken stock  approximately 1/2 cup in a small, square container, more in a wider, shallow container
- pinch of kosher salt – fresh ground pepper to taste
- approximately 1/2 – 1 tsp fresh rosemary or thyme
Preheat the oven to 400F. Lay the halves of butternut squash open side down and bake for 1 hour.
Peel the squash and cut into manageable pieces (approximately 1″ thick). You want pieces large enough to serve, we’re not going to mash the squash.
Place the pieces in a casserole dish, add the stock, sprinkle lightly with kosher salt, add a generous amount of fresh ground pepper and top with the fresh herbs.
Cover tightly, either with the lid of the casserole or aluminum foil.
Bake for 20 – 30 minutes (this is flexible it can be as low as 325 and as high as 400) to allow the flavors from the stock and herbs to infuse into the squash.
Serve.
*Make ahead tip: The squash can be baked and cup ahead of time, expect it to take longer to heat through.*
Does this work with other types of squash, as I have Acorn and Sweet Mama.
Absolutely. I use the same technique for acorn squash, even pumpkin (I just finished it off in a pie). I’ve never seen Sweet Mama, is it a regional variety?