Filling, healthy, and easy to make, roasted acorn squash is the perfect ingredient for meal preps or as a side dish! Here’s how to roast acorn squash!
What Is Acorn Squash?
Acorn squash, also called pepper squash or Des Moines squash, is a winter squash that is dark green with usually a spot of orange on it. Like it’s name, acorn squash is usually shaped like an acorn and are usually 1-2 pounds.
Acorn squash can be roasted, sauteed, or steamed. Today, I’m going to share with you how I roast my acorn squash!
What You’ll Need to Roast Acorn Squash
- acorn squash
- olive oil
For a sweet acorn squash, you’ll need:
- maple syrup
- butter
For a more savoury scorn squash, you’ll need:
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
How To Cut Acorn Squash for Roasting
While my cleaver goes through just about everything, the easiest way to cut your acorn squash is to microwave it for a minute to soften it up. Then just slice through the middle!
How to Roast Acorn Squash
Heat oven to 400F.
Wash and pat dry the acorn squash.
Cut the acorn squash in half, from stem to bottom.
Scoop out the inside of the acorn squash.
Lightly brush the insides with a bit of olive oil
Roast for 40 minutes, cut side up.
For a sweeter acorn squash:
At the 20 minute mark, add a tbsp of butter and maple syrup to the middle of the squash. Let the mixture melt in the oven for a minute then using brush the entire cut side of the squash with the mixture.
For a more savoury acorn squash:
At the 20 minute mark, brush on more olive oil, and sprinkle on some salt and pepper
Serve as is when ready or stuff with your choice of stuffing.
Tips, Notes, and Substitutions
When meal prepping, I like to stuff my acorn squash with some teriyaki rice and chicken. The acorn squash fits perfectly inside this meal prep container I got from Amazon.
If you want to step it up a notch, to make the savoury acorn squash more fancy as a stand alone side dish for the holidays, I’d suggest at the 30 minute mark, add onto the acorn squash a mixture of olive oil, grated parmesan, and herbs of your choice.
To make the sweet acorn squash slightly fancier, you can sprinkle on cinnamon and nutmeg at the 30 minute mark.
The seeds that you scooped out earlier can be treated like pumpkin seeds and be roasted.
How to Roast Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 2 acorn squash
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For a sweet acorn squash
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp butter
For a more savoury scorn squash
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400F.
- Wash and pat dry the acorn squash.
- Cut the acorn squash in half, from stem to bottom.
- Scoop out the inside of the acorn squash.
- Lightly brush the insides with a bit of olive oil
- Roast for 40 minutes, cut side up.
For a sweeter acorn squash:
- At the 20 minute mark, add a tbsp of butter and maple syrup to the middle of the squash. Let the mixture melt in the oven for a minute then using brush the entire cut side of the squash with the mixture.
For a more savoury acorn squash:
- At the 20 minute mark, brush on more olive oil, and sprinkle on some salt and pepper
- Serve as is when ready or stuff with your choice of stuffing.
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