Squash with brown butter and sage is savory and luscious and a great side dish for any Fall meal!
Squash. That is what this post is about. I’m not trying to squash Halloween or its importance, but after all a pumpkin is a squash. But then squash is also a game and a drink and squashing can put down a rebellion. But I don’t see any rebellions right now. So it is that it seems a good day to celebrate the squash. Be it acorn, spaghetti or kabocha; butternut, hubbard, delicata or turban. And I could go on because there are a lot of squashes to regale you about.
Let’s just say that eating a squash is a good thing. I’ve always loved squash even when it came in little white boxes that were kept hidden in the freezer. These were then, without ceremony, dumped into a pot where they thawed and then were seasoned with margarine, dried chives and salt. Well, at least they were at 1054 S. Wildwood. I loved that dish that my mother “made” every fall. She then moved on to buying real acorn squash, which she cut into little rings and served roasted with butter and brown sugar.
It doesn’t take a lot to make squash taste good. Really, it doesn’t. Squash is good without a lot of extras and for that I applaud the squash; bearer of goodness and simplicity. We all need more of that in our life! Squash is moving into the markets and from what I’ve seen it has been a banner year. I love looking at the different colors and shapes and always go way overboard to find the right one. Which of course I then cut up and eat! I really know how to squash the squash!
Whole Foods has a ton of them and lots of other great fall produce. It is time to celebrate fall and start thinking Thanksgiving. After all it wouldn’t be a holiday without squash on my table. Yes, usually it is in the form of pie, but that is only because the sweet potato is so ugly that I felt sorry for it! Truthfully I love a change from potatoes-and I love potatoes-but squash gives me a reason to get some extra health into my diet. It is full of Vitamin C and A and tons of fiber. If you really want the skinny read more here.
Squash can be doctored up in so many ways, but I’m giving you the simple version. Much like what my mom used to do; only better. Sorry, Mom! I like to steam my squash in the oven which makes it much easier to mash. Just cut that bad boy straight down vertically, through the center. (Be careful and don’t cut yourself!) Scoop out the seeds. If you want roast the seeds, because all squash seeds can be roasted just like pumpkin seeds. In a large shallow pan, with not even a 1/2 inch of water, turn those halves over with the cut side down. Now stick in the oven at 350 and bake until the squash is of desired doneness. How to tell? Just stick a fork in it! If it is soft, then your squash is done. I did this with a kabocha squash and it took about 45 minutes.
Now on to the recipe, if I can even call it that! And if you need a few more and want to see some examples of different squashes, check out the Whole Foods site. Now go get squashin’!
Squash with Browned Butter and Sage
- Prep Time: 45 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 - 8 Servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Squash with brown butter and sage is savory and luscious and a great side dish for any Fall meal!
Ingredients
4 c of your favorite squash, steamed and baked as above
1/3 c of fresh sage leaves
4 T of butter
2–4 T of chives
3/4 to 1 c chicken broth or heavy cream or a mixture (I used the broth. :()
1 t salt or to taste
some fresh grindings of nutmeg – optional
Various garnishes that appeal to you: Crisp bacon, chives, sage, pomegranate seeds, maple syrup, pumpkin seeds, green onions. toasted walnuts or pecans, or even peanuts, fried onion strings, chipotle chilies, etc.)
Instructions
Steam and bake squash as below. I ended up with 4 cups, so adjust accordingly. It is very hard to make this “wrong.”
Melt butter in skillet over medium high heat. Add sage leaves and try to keep them flat. You may have to flip them, but they will turn brown and crispy as the butter turns brown. Butter will start to sizzle. When it is brown, it will stop. Do not let it burn!Take sage leaves from skillet as they brown. (I could eat these all, sprinkled with a touch of salt.) Turn heat down to medium low.
Scoop squash from skin, place in skillet and mash gently. Now using an immersion blender, puree the squash and browned butter together. Slowly mix in the broth or cream or both. Add salt, sage leaves and chives or whatever flavors you prefer. Mix together until warm.
Garnish with your favorites!
P.S. This is great made ahead and warmed in the microwave. It saves on oven space for Thanksgiving!
Notes
I like to steam my squash in the oven which makes it much easier to mash. Just cut that bad boy straight down vertically, through the center. (Be careful and don’t cut yourself!) Scoop out the seeds. If you want roast the seeds, because all squash seeds can be roasted just like pumpkin seeds. In a large shallow pan, with not even a 1/2 inch of water, turn those halves over with the cut side down. Now stick in the oven at 350 and bake until the squash is of desired doneness. How to tell? Just stick a fork in it! If it is soft, then your squash is done. I did this with a kabocha squash and it took about 45 minutes.
Keywords: squash. side dish, browned butter, sage, Thanksgiving, fall food
Nadya
November 11, 2015 at 1:43 pmI love butternut squash
helenlam
November 6, 2015 at 5:01 pmKabocha is my favorite
Ashley Kolpak
November 6, 2015 at 11:30 amI love acorn squash!
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Linda
November 6, 2015 at 5:46 amI am a Pinterest follower @cbythesea5
Linda
November 6, 2015 at 5:46 amI like butternut squash best!
cbythesea5 at gmail dot com
traveler
November 5, 2015 at 7:06 pmSubscriber. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
traveler
November 5, 2015 at 7:05 pmSpaghetti Squash with basil, and marinara sauce.. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
November 5, 2015 at 7:26 amButternut is pumpkin here and didn't that take me a long time to remember. 🙂 I could live on brown butter and sage. 🙂
denisekonkel
November 5, 2015 at 6:42 amFollowing on instagram
denisekonkel
November 5, 2015 at 6:41 amButtnernut squash. I love to roast it and sprinkle cinnamon on top
DeniseL
November 4, 2015 at 4:02 pmI follow on pinterest as deniseleb.
DeniseL
November 4, 2015 at 4:02 pmI'm an email subscriber!
DeniseL
November 4, 2015 at 4:01 pmAcorn squash is my favorite squash!
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valerie
November 4, 2015 at 1:01 pmi follow you on twitter as @mamasobus !
valerie
November 4, 2015 at 1:01 pmi love butternut squash! (specifically pureed and used to make pasta sauces!) mmm 🙂
kenny hall
November 4, 2015 at 6:22 amfollowing on pinterest
kenny hall
November 4, 2015 at 6:22 amAcorn squash
Dianne Hall
November 3, 2015 at 6:47 amFollowing on Instagram @kidscountryclub1
Dianne Hall
November 3, 2015 at 6:47 amSpaghetti squash..I love it
Juliana
November 2, 2015 at 10:11 pmThis is such a great side dish Abbe…I would love to make this using Kabocha squash…thanks for this easy and simple recipe.
Have a wonderful week ahead 🙂
Biz
November 2, 2015 at 7:42 pmI just had butternut squash at a dinner – so simple, just roasted with a bit of olive oil, herbed bread crumbs and pine nuts – so good! Hope you had a great weekend Abbe!
karen
November 2, 2015 at 2:47 pmMy fave is kabocha squash
Liz Berg
November 2, 2015 at 9:43 amSimple and perfect. My favorite is probably pumpkin 🙂
Kristen
November 2, 2015 at 8:03 amI follow on Twitter @rubylorikeet
Kristen
November 2, 2015 at 8:02 amI love butternut squash.
Susan DeVaux
November 2, 2015 at 6:11 amI follow you on Instagram & pinterest!
Susan DeVaux
November 2, 2015 at 6:10 amMy favorite squash is Butternut..love making butternut squash soup.
Cheri Savory Spoon
November 1, 2015 at 10:47 pmI Abbe, butternut is my favorite, hope you had a nice Halloween. Take care!
Ali
November 1, 2015 at 2:45 pmI follow on twitter @sockmonkeydiva
Ali
November 1, 2015 at 2:44 pmI subscribe via email [email protected]
Ali
November 1, 2015 at 2:43 pmButternut squash is my favorite squash!
latanya t
November 1, 2015 at 6:13 pmpinterest follower
latanya t
November 1, 2015 at 6:12 pmemail subscriber
latanya t
November 1, 2015 at 6:12 pmI like yellow squash
Tricia Buice
November 1, 2015 at 2:24 pmI follow on Pinterest and Facebook 🙂
Tricia Buice
November 1, 2015 at 2:24 pmI already subscribe 🙂
Tricia Buice
November 1, 2015 at 2:23 pmI love the addition of sage in this recipe! My favorite is butternut squash – I can't help myself!
Sippity Sup
November 1, 2015 at 2:02 pmGive me brown butter over brown sugar any day! Great recipe. GREG
Angie Schneider
November 1, 2015 at 7:21 amI am a huge fan of all winter squashes. This sounds and looks really super, Abbe.
Nicki Joseph
November 1, 2015 at 6:01 amAcorn squash..yummy- But this dish looks great!
Kitchen Riffs
November 1, 2015 at 4:58 amYup, squash is good stuff! Acorn is my favorite, but I'll eat them all. And do. 😉 Good recipe — thanks. Hope you had a decent turnout for Halloween. A bit of rain here, so not so many kids. Which means we have ALL THIS CANDY leftover. 🙁 We'll pawn it off on someone, I'm sure. 😉 Good post — thanks.
denisekonkel
November 1, 2015 at 4:51 amSpaghetti squash is my favorite!
Georgette C
November 1, 2015 at 3:05 amThis looks amazing! I can't wait to make it and try it. I might eat it all myself!
Georgette C
November 1, 2015 at 3:05 amI follow on Facebook:
Georgette Coan (fb name)
Thank you
gigicoan at yahoo dot com (email)
Georgette C
November 1, 2015 at 3:04 amI subscribe to This Is How I Cook (3 years now!):
email subscriber is gigicoan at yahoo dot com
Georgette C
November 1, 2015 at 3:03 amMy favorite squash is butternut squash!
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Stephanie
November 1, 2015 at 1:25 amFollow on Twitter @stephanienola
Stephanie
November 1, 2015 at 1:25 amI subscribe – steph 0828 at hotmail dot com
Stephanie
November 1, 2015 at 1:24 amI love spaghetti squash – I use it all the time in place of pasta because it's lower in calories and healthier.
Karen Harris
October 31, 2015 at 11:21 pmWe do a lot of butternut squash ravioli with sage and brown butter at the store and I can attest to how good this flavor combination is. Great fall side.
Sandra K321
October 31, 2015 at 11:03 pmI subscribe to your blog via Bloglovin.
Sandra K321
October 31, 2015 at 11:03 pmI follow you on facebook.
Sandra K321
October 31, 2015 at 11:01 pmMy favorite squash is butternut with a little maple syrup mixed in.
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