Bakes Squash with Apples, Raisins, and NutsYears ago, during family Thanksgiving dinners, we used to …

Oh.  Wait.  You’re here to read a recipe, not my life story.  Here we go.

Ingredients

Important:  This recipe is flexible. You don’t have to have every single ingredient.  See variations below!

  • 1 acorn squash
  • 2 apples
  • 3 Tbsp butter or ghee (ideally grass-fed organic)
  • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp salt, plus salt to taste
  • A dash or two of ground black pepper 
  • A handful or two of slivered almonds
  • A handful or two of raisins

Directions

  1. Bake the acorn squash (whole, but with the sticker peeled off) at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes.
  2. Remove from oven and cut in half.  Scoop out inside seeds. Peel away outer skin with a paring knife or strong peeler. Note: you might want to let the squash cool a little before this step so you don’t burn your hands. And if there are bits of peel or seed that don’t come off easily, you can finish removing them after step 3.
  3. Cut the squash into approximate cubes, 1/2 to one inch wide.
  4. Core two apples, remove any bad spots, and cut them similarly sized approximate cubes .
  5. Melt butter over low heat. Stir in maple syrup, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and a dash or two of pepper, Mix to combine and remove from heat.
  6. Add apples and squash to the butter mixture and mix till coated.
  7. Lay the mixture out in an even layer in a baking pan.
  8. Add a handful or two of slivered almonds and a handful or two of raisins. Stir to combine.
  9. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, stir, and then bake for another 10 minutes.
  10. Switch the oven to broiler setting and raise heat to 400 degrees. Check it every ten minutes or so with a fork, and stir gently. It is done with both the apples and squash are soft to the desired consistency.
  11. Remove from oven and serve, topped with more butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Variations:

  • Try omitting the apples or the squash if you like (but not both!)
  • Try with more apples or with more squash.
  • Substitute a different type of squash, adjusting amounts and cooking times as needed.
  • Substitute raisins with dried cranberries, dried currants, or another dried fruit. Or leave them out if you like.
  • Substitute slivered almonds with another nut or seed (perhaps pecans). Or leave them out if you like.
  • Substitute honey for the maple syrup if you like.
  • Add a bit more maple syrup if you like.
  • Substitute more cinnamon for the nutmeg, or vice versa.
  • Add more cinnamon or nutmeg if you like.
  • Use a slightly different baking temperature if you like (perhaps 375 degrees instead of 350) or bake the dish normally throughout, without switching it to boiler settings.
  • If you feel like experimenting, add other random items that you think might go with this. But, maybe not if you are about to have company.

That’s it! Please feel free to let us know how it goes, and any variations you prefer, in the comments below!