This is for these post-Thanksgiving days, when maybe we all feel a little roasted and stuffed– but not quite ready to give up on the indulging that we’ve only just begun. Ah, the holiday season is here: days of devilishly delicious treats, heaped at our feet as though there would be nothing wrong with consuming large beasts and lakes of salted caramel lava, day after luscious day.
In between the parties, you might want to throw together a little something that tastes like it belongs in this season– but has far fewer calories and less fat than those cute little Santa cookies your colleague brought in.
Roast more squash than you need for just this recipe. The oven will be on anyway, and it is an easy treat for later in the week, when you can reheat it in the oven or microwave, sprinkle it with salt and pepper and a splash of olive oil and eat it right out of the skin.
| Servings 4 |
- 2 3/4 pound butternut squash
- 1 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon dried crumbled sage
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup shredded Gruyere (or Swiss cheese)
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- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Coat a shallow baking sheet pan with cooking spray.
- Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place cut side up on the sheet pan, and use the point of a small knife to make several 1-inch slashes into the squash, taking care to not cut through to the skin. Drape loosely with foil and bake 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30 minutes, until very tender when pricked with a fork.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh, leaving a ½-inch border all the way around. Mash with a large fork and stir in the butter until it is melted. Add the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, dried sage, and pepper and stir well. Place the mixture back into the squash shells and sprinkle with the Gruyere. Return to the oven until the cheese is melted, about 3-5 minutes.
Nutritional analysis for each serving: 188 calories, 6 g protein, 32 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, 6 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 390 mg sodium
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