Acorn Squash with Maple Butter


I just love fall and this is one easy recipe for a sweet and tasty side dish that will go with any chicken, beef or pork dish. A few weeks ago we went to the pumpkin patch and in their store I spied some huge acorn squash that were two for one dollar. I picked up four of them and brought them home. 

Normally, I baked them with butter and brown sugar. This time I decided to make some maple butter and smother each one with a tablespoon. I also drizzled each one with additional maple syrup and baked them for about one hour. They came out perfectly cooked with a nice caramel coating from the maple syrup! I scooped out the insides and plan on serving this with some roasted garlic chicken. Sounds good, right? Fall is a great time to experiment with all of the wonderful varieties of fall squash. You cannot beat the price and they will literally last for months in a cool garage. 

Happy cooking,
Miranda

2 large acorn squash, cut in half with stem removed
4 tablespoons maple butter, see recipe below
additional maple syrup to drizzle over the squash

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Make your maple butter by adding 1 stick of butter ( I make extra for waffles and pancakes and store it in the fridge) and 2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup to a mixing bowl and beat until combined.  Set aside. 


Split the acorn squash in half. Spread one tablespoon of maple butter over each half of squash. Place on a large baking sheet and drizzle the tops with maple syrup. 


Place prepared squash in preheated oven and bake for approximately one hour or fork tender. 

Removed from oven and cool. Using a large spoon, scoop out the cooked squash and store in a large container. 

Enjoy!