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?
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.
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
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!
I roast the seeds after I roast the flesh… tastes like pumpkin seeds!
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
@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!
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 🙂
@Angela,
Hooray! My kiddos love it too 🙂
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.
wow $$$ where do you live?? i bought 4 for $1 today…gonna try the honey…
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!