Ok, folks, I’m admitting to you that an entire butternut squash was just hoovered between me and a 17-month-old. Because this is a safe place and I know you won’t judge me. And if I turn orange, you know why.
Fun side note: my grandma actually turned orange once. Because she drank too much Tang. And yes, that’s the same beloved grandma who very nearly forked my cockatiel to an untimely death.
But oh man, these butternut squash “fries” are good – sweet, caramelized edges, crispy ends and chewy middles. They really exceeded my expectations!
The secret to perfect, crispy-chewy (not soggy!) butternut fries (or any baked fries, really) is giving them plenty of space on the baking sheets – no touchy! Each must have room for air circulation around it, or else it will steam under its neighbour’s weight. See how happy these guys are with all their room to spread out? We don’t want them living Vancouver-condo style.
I kept the seasoning simple because I only had about five minutes to make dinner and escape with my sanity – hubby was working late and toddler stopped whining only once thoroughly engaged in the important work of relieving a supersized toilet paper of its cardboard roll.
Had I been in a more relaxed mood, I would have busted out the spices – a bit of cinnamon and allspice and cayenne would have been nice. But salt and pepper alone were still really delicious!
We dunked them in garlic mayo (just a bit of mashed garlic stirred into a couple of tablespoons of jarred mayonnaise). Chipotle mayo would be yummy, too.
Fellow Canadians, I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving! And if you need the perfect Turkey recipe, here it is.
Crispy Baked Butternut Squash Fries
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash peeled and cut into (approx. 1/2" x 4") matchsticks
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper (for easier flipping and cleanup).
- In a large bowl, toss butternut squash with oil. Arrange fries on baking sheets, making sure that none are overlapping. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake (use convection, if you have it) for 30 minutes, or until caramelized and charred in spots. flipping once halfway through.
