How to Roast Butternut Squash the easy way…whole in the oven! Winter squashes can be tricky to cut because of their firmness, so cutting them can actually be dangerous. It’s easy to slip and slice yourself when you’re exerting all that pressure. This simple method really couldn’t be any easier and there’s no chance you’ll lose a finger before dinner! Just wash, pierce, and toss it in the oven! Done.
If you love your crockpot, it’s just as simple to cook butternut squash all day. The prep is the same…SO easy! CLICK HERE for the simple instructions.
My friend (and talented chef) Melanie taught me to pierce the bottom of the squash instead of poking holes all around the skin to vent it for escaping steam. The knife slides right in!
Oven-Roasted {Whole} Butternut Squash
Ingredients:
- 1 whole butternut squash
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Wash the squash and pierce the bottom with a pairing knife. This lets steam escape while cooking (they can burst, which is bad news!), but piercing it on the bottom keeps the skin in tact.
- Place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 60-90 minutes, depending on the size.
- Slice in half from top to bottom. Remove seeds. Save for roasting or discard.
- Peel the skin off or scoop the flesh out of the skin and use as desired.
Notes:
- My squash was about 4 lbs and I roasted it for 90 minutes.
- I picked about 25 butternut squashes out of my garden this year (I can only assume they were overcompensating for the peppers, which weren’t great this time). Most of them were in the 4-5 lb range, but they went all the way from 2.5 to 6 pounds!
- I prefer to oven-roast my squash if I will be cubing them to use as a side dish. It’s easy to control how soft it cooks.
- I prefer to slow-cook my squash if I will be mashing or pureeing it for a recipe/baby food. It will get nice and soft in the crock pot without checking it 14 times for doneness.
