MMMMkkkkk, I think it's time we start giving a little thought to a little holiday called THANKSGIVING on the ol' blog here. Today I'm writing to those of us who will have the pleasure of being someone's guest for Thanksgiving and will be called upon to contribute a side dish. I'm also writing to the novice cook who may be hosting a small Thanksgiving from a tiny kitchen and wants to keep things simple because of limited resources and/or space. You see, I've found myself in both of these positions on multiple occasions the past 8 years or so.
When you find yourself playing the role of a guest that is assigned to bring a side dish, I've learned that it's important to choose something that can be made ahead and won't require any of the host's precious oven or stove top space to reheat. Read: you need to bring either a salad or a dish that's microwave or slow cooker-friendly. Your host likely has his/her hands full, and your efforts to stay out of their hair during last minute preparations will be most appreciated {at least, that's how I would feel if I were hosting}. Including this type of side on your menu if you are making Thanksgiving dinner in a small kitchen will also have a huge payoff when it comes down to the wire and you want to have everything hot and on the table at the same time!
That's why I'm sharing this easy, simple, make-ahead but still utterly delicious Maple Whipped Butternut Squash with you today! Seriously, the only challenging part of this recipe is cutting the squash in half. After you've done that, it's a cake walk. If you can bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies, you can make this side dish.
I really love this recipe because you can make it up to TWO days ahead and then just reheat it in the microwave or on the low-setting of a slow cooker when you are ready to serve it. It maintains a silky, velvet-like texture beautifully after refrigeration and reheating. It also lends itself to a wide variety of garnish options; like freshly-grated cinnamon, a drizzle of maple syrup, or even some candied nuts or toasted pepitas sprinkled over the top. Plus it's essentially just three ingredients, considering you already have salt and pepper on hand! How much easier can a Thanksgiving side get???
And there's something else I need to tell you....but first let's make something clear: I'm not too concerned about calories when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner. There's 3 days per year that I allow myself to eat whatever the heck I want for the entire day {not just a "splurge" meal}: Halloween, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Anything goes. Now mind you, I'll typically go for a nice long walk on those days if the weather permits, just because it feels good and I know it's good for me. But in case you are trying to cut calories here and there in your Thanksgiving meal, I'd say choose a butternut squash dish like this one over a sweet potato side. Why you ask me? Because one cup of sweet potatoes contains more than double the calories in a cup of butternut squash. 1 cup of butternut squash = 63 calories. 1 cup of sweet potato = 161 calories. Both are equally delicious and good for you. However, 100 calories saved by choosing butternut squash over sweet potato equals another spoonful of gravy in my mind. Just sayin'.
Recipe
Maple Whipped Butternut Squash – Great Option for a Thanksgiving Side!
Ingredients
- 2 medium butternut squash halved lengthwise, and seeded
- 3 tablespoons butter melted and browned - how to video
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- Ground cinnamon for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly spray the foil with cooking spray.
- Place the squash halves flesh-side-down on the baking sheet and roast the squash for 30-35 minutes until fork-tender.
- Use an ice cream scoop to scoop the tender squash flesh into a large mixing bowl. Add the brown butter, maple syrup, salt and pepper to the squash. Use a handheld mixer or standing mixer with the paddle attachment to whip the squash until all the ingredients are incorporated and the squash is nice and smooth, about a minute.
- Spoon the squash into a serving dish and sprinkle lightly with a dusting of ground cinnamon. Serve immediately.
- Squash can be made ahead up to 1 day and reheated in the oven or microwave, stirring throughout the heating process to heat it evenly.
What else should I make? This would be delicious with Maple Ginger Chicken Thighs spooned over the top!
Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear about how it turned out for you! Leave a comment and upload a picture of your dish to Instagram with the hashtag #sweetcayenne - it's always fun to connect with you!
