Is It a Side or a Dessert??? Butternut Squash Casserole

I have never been a big fan of squash. Therefore, I avoid it. Now that we have fresh produce delivered weekly from local farms, I am branching out in my cooking. I am trying to make at least one new recipe a week using the produce (I realize one recipe a week doesn't sound like much, but we now have a newborn at home, along with a 21 month old; life's a little hectic!) :)

By the way, I am no longer dairy-free (thank goodness!!!), and I am slowly easing back into eating normally. Two months was long enough. Normal eating = a much happier mommy!

I surfed around on allrecipes.com to see how to prepare the butternut squash that was sitting in my kitchen. I needed a general idea on how to begin, and then I wanted to come up with something yummy to do with it. This is what I did...

Ingredients

1 butternut squash peeled, cubed, boiled, and pureed in the food processor (I used 2 cups for the casserole, and froze one cup in an ice cube tray for baby Emily's dinner once she is eating solids)


1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
2 eggs
1 T pumpkin pie spice (you can also use ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger, focusing mostly on the cinnamon and nutmeg, with small amounts of the other two)
2 T whole wheat flour
1/4 stick butter

Topping
1/2 stick butter
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
(I also tossed in two crumbled up Trader Joe's graham crackers, but if you don't have them on hand, don't worry about it)

Prepare the squash by peeling it, removing the seeds, cubing it, and boiling the cubes for about 30 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Place the squash cubes into a food processor, and let them sit for a while to cool. I waited about an hour, but if you need them to cool faster, spread them out on a plate or cookie sheet. Puree the cubes in a food processor, or mash really well with a fork or spoon.

Blend the milk, 1/4 stick of butter (melted), squash, and sugar in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the pumpkin pie spice, flour, salt, and baking soda. Combine the two bowls into one, and mix well. Pour the mixture into an 8x8 (or similar) greased baking dish.



Mix the 1/2 stick of melted butter, the chopped pecans, and the brown sugar in a small bowl, and layer on top of the squash.

Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees.


We had it as a side with meatloaf for dinner, but Dan and I both agree it could have easily been a dessert. I think I'll be taking it to my Aunt's house for Thanksgiving this year. Enjoy!