1acorn squashhalved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into ¾-inch slices
4sprigsfresh thyme
2tablespoonsolive oil
3tablespoonshoneymaple syrup or agave work well also
1tablespoonbrown sugar
1teaspoonground ancho chilecommercial chili powder can be used as a substitute
½teaspoonkosher saltor to taste
¼teaspoonground black pepperor to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Arrange acorn squash slices on rimmed sheet pan. Mix olive oil, honey, brown sugar, ancho chili powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Brush acorn squash slices with the mixture.
Roast in preheated oven until golden brown and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Garnish with fresh thyme.
Notes
It's tough choosing good acorn squash with confidence since you can't see inside. These simple tips help to ensure you get a good one:
Dull is better than shiny when picking acorn squash.
Heavy is also good. Not necessarily heavy because of size; you actually want one that is heavy for its size
Go for the one with a good balance of green and orange skin. Balance means neither too ripe nor not ripe enough. Orange ones are overly ripe and will have many stringy bits vs. a green one won't be ripe enough and will be lacking in flavor.
A few tricks to cutting the squash in half include:
Make sure you have a sturdy, sharp knife. This should always be the case, but especially here.
Before cutting, pierce the skin in a few spots, place it in a microwave oven and heat on high for 2 minutes. Let it stand for a few minutes and wallah the squash is softened
When halving, cut through the stem end to the point rather than across the diameter.
Find a valley in between one of the ridges of the acorn squash ideally, the ridge should be just to the side of the stem as you DO NOT want to try to cut through the STEM.
Drive the knife through the acorn squash and continue by cutting around the entire squash. If the knife gets stuck, return to the starting point and rotate in the opposite direction.
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