Butternut Squash and Cheddar Cheese Dip/Casserole

From Meg's Kitchen 

We celebrated the hubs birthday this weekend with a potluck supper and Tango dance.  Only seven managed to come but since our place is not large it was a good number.

I baked the hubs a carrot cake with butter cream frosting that was a big hit.  The recipe I used called for finely grating 3/4 lb of carrots.  And now with a well exercised arm I know why I haven't made a carrot cake in years.

I also made a Butternut Squash and Cheddar Cheese Dip that I found online at Serious Eats.  I wasn't too sure about how it would work out - cheese and squash as a dip?  But since the hubs had brought home a butternut squash from a friend's garden I decided to give it a go.  It is the most amazing butternut squash dish ever!!!!  Everyone raved about it and ate a lot of it (which is the true test for a good dish).  This recipe makes a lot and we ate the remaining portion as a vegetable side dish.  Following is the recipe with a few minor adjustments and my own instructions.

Butternut Squash and Cheddar Cheese Dip or Casserole

3 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and cut into 1" chunks  (see Note below regarding peeling)
Olive, vegetable or coconut oil (I used coconut oil)
4 TBSP butter, unsalted
20 fresh sage leaves
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, smashed through a garlic press (much faster than mincing with a knife)
8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Equipment:  food processor, rimmed sheet pan lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper, 2 quart oiled baking dish, 10 to 12 inch frying pan

Note:  to make peeling the squash easier simply cut off the top and bottom of the butternut and microwave for about 3 minutes.  When the squash has cooled, use a sturdy vegetable peeler to remove the skin.

• Set oven to 400 degrees and coat squash chunks with oil and spread on lined, rimmed sheet pan.  Bake until the chunks are tender - about 30 minutes.  Toss half way through the baking time.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in the frying pan and saute the sage leaves until slightly browned.  Remove leaves from the butter and drain on paper towels.  Note:  I think that you would be safe to just add the sage to the food processor without frying it but maybe add a few leaves when sautéing the onions.
• Add the onion slices to the melted butter and saute until caramelized - about 20 minutes.  Stir frequently.  When onions are nice and golden brown add the minced garlic and saute for about a minute.
• Process the butternut squash, onions and 15 sage leaves in the food processor until mixed.  Add the cream cheese and sour cream and mix until blended.  If the mixture is too thick add a bit of milk to the mixture just enough to get everything blended.
• Stir in 1/2 of the grated cheese
• Spread mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cheddar cheese. Decorate with the remaining sage leaves.

The dish can be made ahead of time.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.  The cheese topping should be melted and slightly toasted.  If using as a dip, serve with crackers or pita chips.

As a side dish this pairs well with roasted meats or eat it as a vegetarian main dish.

Mary's Comment 
This sounds like it would have a lovely depth of flavor!  I like butternut squash in just about anything, but this is a great application. I think I would like yhis served with the pitas toasted after rubbing with raw garlic. Go for it!!

Roasted Squash with Garlic, Lime & Chile

From Meg's Kitchen

A year ago Mary and I met up with our other two college roomies in Boston and then headed up to Vermont to see the fall colors (spectacular).  Mary cooked a fantastic dish of butternut squash risotto which she blogged about last May.  I've been waiting for the fall to share another butternut squash recipe (summer just isn't the right season for any kind of squash except summer squashes which are totally different and shouldn't be called squash.  And if it is because of the seed thing why isn't a cucumber and tomato which is supposedly a fruit called a squash or all of them called a fruit?  AND I just "googled" my question and it turns out that cucumber and pumpkin are both technically fruits because a fruit is the part of the plant that develops from the flower and contains the seeds.  True vegetables are stems, leaves, roots, etc.).  Sorry, this is what you get when you read a librarian's blog...

This recipe comes from Eating Well (January/February 2016) and was served to us by a former student/friend of my son (which is a whole other story and I won't go into it here but just know that meeting former students as adults makes me feel old).  I've made a few adjustments and have an alternative lime & chile sauce (which I adapted from a recipe on the internet).

Roasted Squash with Garlic, Lime and Chile

Serves 4.  Prep and cooking time about 45 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 2 1/2-lb. butternut squash (for 2 reduce the squash size but make the full recipe for the sauce)

3 TBSP olive oil (divided)

1/4 tsp salt plus a pinch (divided)
    Sauce:

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

1 tsp ground cumin

1 lime

1/2 tsp freshly grated lime zest

1 to 2 tsp minced red jalapeno pepper (red jalapenos have a more mature and deeper flavor than the younger green jalapeno and they have less heat.  But it is OK to use green jalapeno.)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the ends off of the squash and microwave for about 3 minutes.  When it is cool enough to handle peel off the skin using a vegetable peeler (microwaving the squash makes it much easier to peel).  Cut the solid portion of the squash into 1/2-inch thick slices.  Cut the seeded part in half and scrape out the seeds and slice into 1/2-inch thick half circles.  Brush each side of the slices with 1 TBSP oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt.  Place the slices in a single layer on a roasting pan.  

Roast the squash for about 25 minutes turning once halfway through.  The squash should be tender and nicely browned.

Sauce:

While the squash is roasting, heat the remaining 2 TBSP oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the garlic, cumin, and a pinch of salt.  Heat the oil until the garlic turns golden (about 2 minutes).  Remove from heat and add the lime juice, zest and jalapeno.

To serve, spoon the seasoned oil over the squash.

Alternative Sauce:

Ingredients:

1 large clove garlic, roasted (see quick microwave method below)

3 TBSP butter, softened

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 lime

1/2 tsp freshly grated lime zest

Instructions:

Follow the instructions for roasting the squash as above.

Sauce:
In a small dish, mush roasted garlic with the soft butter, cumin and chili powder, and lime zest. Squeeze the juice from the lime into the butter mixture and stir to blend.

When you are ready to serve, top the squash with the lime & chili butter.

How to "roast" a head of garlic in the microwave
Cut the top off of a head of garlic and place it in a small microwave-safe dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and cover.  Microwave for 5 to 6 minutes at 50% power and then test to see if the garlic cloves are soft.  If further cooking is required proceed at 30 second to 1 minute intervals.