Hot & Sweet Roasted Butternut Squash

Spring is terribly stubborn in arriving. Fine. I'll make a few winter dishes while I still can.

I love butternut squash. I love hot & sweet. I love roasting stuff. I ate the whole squash. This is roasted with maple syrup and hot sauce. It was good, but next time will change a couple of things. I felt that the squash was a little underseasoned. Next time, I will peel and cube the squash to expose more of the flesh to the seasonings. I think I'll add more hot sauce, too, or a little cayenne. And maybe bacon. (My mom always cooks squash with a strip of bacon on top. It is so good.)

This recipe is adapted from The Food Network Cookbook.

Hot & Sweet Roasted Butternut Squash

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Quarter and seed a butternut squash. (Or, peel and cut into large cubes.) Place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Season squash with salt and pepper. 

3. In a small saucepan or glass measuring cup in the microwave, heat 1/2 c. real maple syrup, 1-2 T. hot sauce, and 2 T. butter. Pour sauce over the squash, coating as much as you can.

4. Place in oven and turn squash ever 10 minutes to ensure even cooking and coating in the sauce. Cook for 30-40 minutes, or until tender and darkly caramelized.