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How to Cook Acorn Squash

September 30, 2009 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 12 Comments

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how-to-cook-acorn-squash

I {love} acorn squash.

Baked to perfection.  A little melted butter.  A few sprinkles of brown sugar.

Simple as that!

Cutting

You’re gonna need a large SHARP chef’s knife to make the easiest cut on a “raw” squash.  Put a little shoulder behind it and cut crosswise in half…for baking.

Peeling

To make the peeling process a little easier, microwave the squash for 4-5 minutes to “loosen” the skin.  Let cool a few minutes before peeling.  After peeling, squash can be cut into whatever size pieces you need for your meal.

Baking

Cut squash in half crosswise.  Place upside down in glass baking dish with 1/4 inch of water. Cover with foil and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until flesh is soft and tender.  Let cool a few minutes.  Scoop out seeds.  Scoop out flesh and serve with butter and brown sugar/honey/agave syrup/maple syrup (whatever sweetner suits you!).  I prefer acorn squash to be sweetened up a bit.  It’s not as naturally sweet as a butternut squash.

Similar to baking a butternut squash

Roasting

Cut squash in half crosswise.  Scoop out seeds. (I recommend an ice cream scoop with a “sharp” end.) Place on baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, or honey, or maple syrup.  Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, or until flesh is soft and tender.

Microwave

Cut squash in half crosswise or lengthwise.  Scoop out seeds. Place in glass baking dish.  Add 1/4 inch water and cover with plastic wrap.  Cook for 9-12 minutes.  Cooking time may vary depending on size of squash.

Flavors that “Work”

Here are a few flavors that work well with acorn squash: Sage, sausage, maple syup, feta cheese, sweet jams, spaghetti sauce and meat/chicken…what else???

What is your favorite way to make acorn squash?  Or perhaps your favorite dish with acorn squash?

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Filed Under: How To Cook Tagged With: acorn squash

Comments

  1. Heather @CeliacFamily says

    September 30, 2009 at 8:05 pm

    Butter and brown sugar is pretty much how I eat it, too. Thought I would suggest a tip for easier cutting: Microwave the whole acorn squash for one minute (or two if it’s large) and then cut it. It should have softened slightly to make it easier to cut, but hasn’t cooked enough to make it too hot to handle.

    Reply
  2. Erin from Long Island says

    October 1, 2009 at 3:58 am

    I accidently left some in my car once last winter and it froze overnight. It was cold, put it peeled like a charm as it thawed out!

    I like it with curry spices or in a Morrocan tagine

    Reply
  3. Christina @ Northern Cheapskate says

    October 1, 2009 at 10:13 am

    You are soooo right about having a sharp knife! One time I had an acorn squash that I could not, for the life of me, cut in half. In a fit of anger and frustration, I told my husband to go throw it out in the woods (we live in the country). Being the smart man that he is, he took it outside.

    He came back a few minutes later, laughing and holding two halves of the acorn squash. Turns out that when he threw it, it hit a tree and broke in half along the line I’d scored with my dull knife! So we washed it off and had it for dinner, and to this day, we laugh about it, and always remember to have a really sharp knife!

    We make our squash the same way as you… although sometimes instead of butter and brown sugar we’ll use a little honey. Tastes wonderful!

    Reply
  4. Monique says

    October 2, 2009 at 4:12 pm

    I roast the seeds after I roast the flesh… tastes like pumpkin seeds!

    Reply
  5. Angela says

    October 29, 2009 at 10:55 am

    What temp do you put the oven at for baking? What is the main difference between the baking and roasting methods as far as taste?

    I’ve never cooked an acorn squash but I am ready to try it this year. Hubby is going to have to cut it though since I tend to be dangerous with knives. LOL

    Reply
    • Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom says

      October 29, 2009 at 3:13 pm

      @Angela,

      I bake at 350 and roast at 400 or higher. And be careful with that knife! They are touch to cut. You can microwave them for 4-5 minutes to soften the skin and make easier to cut!

      Reply
  6. Angela says

    October 30, 2009 at 11:03 am

    Thanks Erin! I baked an acorn squash last night and it turned out great. My daughter Loved it and may have eaten more of it than I did 🙂

    Reply
    • Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom says

      October 30, 2009 at 11:17 am

      @Angela,

      Hooray! My kiddos love it too 🙂

      Reply
  7. Kim says

    October 23, 2010 at 7:03 pm

    I don’t peel mine. I just cut them in half, clean the out, then put a couple of pats of butter, salt and pepper. Bake in a shallow dish without water or anything until they are a little carmelized on top. It is my favorite thing in the world. Unfortunately, it is also over a dollar per pound locally.

    Reply
    • Desiree in van B.C. says

      September 7, 2012 at 2:56 am

      wow $$$ where do you live?? i bought 4 for $1 today…gonna try the honey…

      Reply
  8. Dawn P. says

    October 24, 2010 at 12:39 am

    I cut mine in half, scoop out the seeds and fibers, and put in a generous amount of butter, and salt and pepper. Wrap each half in foil and bake at 350 for about an hour. YUM!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. » Kicking off Squash Season with Spaghetti Squash » Relishments says:
    October 10, 2011 at 7:03 pm

    […] spaghetti squash.  I suppose it was because I was too busy making butternut squash lasagna and baked acorn squash and summer squash […]

    Reply

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