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Thanksgiving is coming up quickly and it’s not too early to begin thinking about recipes that your family will enjoy but that will get you out of the kitchen sooner. There would be a mutiny at my house if such family favorites as my sister’s pumpkin pie or Aunt Pat’s dressing weren’t on the Thanksgiving table, but I always make room for something new. Just last week I found a new recipe for butternut squash that got high ratings from my family and which couldn’t be any easier to make.

Best of all, butternut squash is highly nutritious; one cup has 297% of your daily need for Vitamin A and nearly half for vitamin C! Butternut squash also has a decent amount of fiber, calcium, vitamin B-6 and other important nutrients, making it a powerhouse of nutrition.

I find butternut squash is delicious prepared many ways and is easy to cook if you buy it already cut up. However it is expensive when pre-cut so save yourself a good bit of money and cut it up yourself. If you have ever tried to cut up a butternut or any other winter squash like acorn or even pumpkin, you know it can be difficult. Google is your friend and you can usually find an easier way to do almost anything on the internet, including cutting up a rock hard squash. First, wash the squash to remove any dirt. Take a fork or ice pick and prick the squash all over several times. Place the squash on a microwave safe dish and microwave it for about 3 minutes. Any longer and it may cook too much, making it mushy after cooking in your chosen recipe. Use a sharp vegetable peeler to peel the skin off in long strips. Next, cut off a slice from each end, then cut the squash in half right above the bulb. Cut each of the halves in half length wise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Now you can easily cut the halves into long strips and then into chunks. You could cut the squash up and store it in a ziploc bag two or three days before you plan to cook it to save time. A large squash will yield about 4 cups cut up.

Spicy Rosemary Butternut Squash

1 large squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks or about 4 cups

3 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. salt

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, depending on your tolerance for heat

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried

Heat oven to 350. Spray a medium sized casserole dish with cooking spray. Melt the butter in a microwave safe measuring cup and stir in the salt, cayenne and sugar. Place the squash in casserole dish and drizzle the butter mixture over it. Toss gently so squash is well coated. Place rosemary sprigs on top and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until squash is very soft and tender, stirring once half way through cooking time. This makes a good side dish with fish, chicken or any meat.