Twice Baked Butternut Squash

It seems like Fall is really here. I thought I would be sad, but the crisp and (hopefully) sunny days inspire me to make yummy fall food with seasonal produce like squash and yams. I am looking forward to soups as well!

This was originally a Martha Stewart recipe but I tweaked it a bit. I was tempted to go sweet, but I stuck with savory and am happy I did.

These amounts are approximate. You may want to adjust based on the size of your squash and to your personal taste.

Ingredients:

2 butternut squash

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp paprika (I had run out so I substituted Old Bay seasoning)

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp. chopped chives (I think sage or thyme would taste really good too)

3 Tbsp fresh bread crumbs or buttered panko bread crumbs

1. Heat oven to 450 with rack in center. Halve squash lengthwise and remove seeds and fibers. Sprinkle halves with salt and pepper. Fill a roasting pan with 1/4 inch water. Place squash in pan, cover with foil and bake until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife 35-45 minutes). 

2. Remove from oven, transfer to a cool surface and let sit until cool enough to handle. Reduce oven temperature to 425. Use a spoon to scoop flesh out of each half into a large bowl, leaving a 1/4 inch border so they will keep their shape.

3. To the bowl add sour cream, paprika, nutmeg, garlic powder, chives and 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Mix with a handheld electric mixer or potato masher until smooth and well combined.

4. Fill halves with mixture and sprinkle tops with breadcrumbs. Bake until golden brown and hot, approx. 20 minutes.

makes 4 generous servings