Recipe - Caramelized Butternut Squash

It appears cold weather is upon us once again, which means time to put heartier meals on the table and enjoy the bounties of the harvest, whether supplied from our own gardens or local supermarkets.  We had a bumper crop of butternut squash this year, so I've been trying some new recipes, including one I must attribute to TV's Ina Garten, better known as the Barefoot Contessa.  Using only four ingredients, you can turn this common vegetable into a healthy and beautiful side dish called Carmelized Butternut Squash.  I've made it twice over the past couple of weeks, plus we've had leftovers that tasted just as good as the first night. If you need further convincing to try this sweet veggie delight, I found some amazing information about the wonderful health benefits of Butternut Squash.  Here's my personal wheelbarrow full!

Low in fat, butternut squash delivers an ample dose of dietary fiber, making it an exceptionally heart-friendly choice. It provides significant amounts of potassium, important for bone health, and vitamin B6, essential for the proper functioning of both the nervous and immune systems.  The dark orange color signals an abundance of powerhouse nutrients known as carotenoids, shown to protect against heart disease. In particular, it boasts very high levels of beta-carotene (which your body automatically converts to vitamin A), identified as a deterrent against breast cancer and age-related macular degeneration. What's more, with only a 1-cup serving, you get nearly half the recommended daily dose of antioxidant-rich vitamin C.  Butternut squash also helps with blood sugar regulation and prevention of type 2 diabetes. Incorporating more of this hearty winter staple into your diet could help reduce risk of inflammation-related disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. Finally, the combination of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds in winter squash that have shown this food to have clear potential in the area of cancer prevention and cancer treatment.

Caramelized Butternut Squash

Here's all you need:

2 medium butternut squash (4 to 5 pounds total)
6 tablespoons butter or so, melted
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper   

Note: If you don't have kosher salt or a pepper grinder, feel free to just use regular salt and pepper.  Also, heap the brown sugar up in the cup up a bit and pack down.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cut off and discard the ends of each butternut squash. Cut them in half lengthwise, and remove the seeds.

Peel with a sturdy potato peeler, then go over it again with the peeler to make sure all the tough skin is well removed, even though it may look like it's all off.

Cut the squash into large cubes and place them on a baking sheet or large oblong glass pan.

Mix up the melted butter, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.

Drizzle evenly over the squash.

With clean hands (or spoon), toss the mixture into the squash and spread out into the pan (at this point, it could be covered and refrigerated until ready to bake--no more than a few hours).

Roast for about an hour or so, until the squash is tender and the glaze begins to caramelize. Part way through roasting, turn once with a spatula, to be sure it cooks evenly. This is how it looks part way through when you stir it.

Here's how it looks when it's done. 

Poke the biggest pieces with a toothpick to make sure it's very tender.  Serves 6 to 8.