Butternut Squash Bake

I, like most people, am always looking for a shortcut in the kitchen. In the winter, I love cooking with butternut squash. But, let's be honest, it's a pain in the butt. Just peeling that huge thing often makes me reconsider, and then cutting it up, if you don't have the right knife on hand, it's not gonna be pretty! I've seen butternut squash that comes peeled and cut into chunks sold at the supermarket, but often it looks dry and pasty, and after a day or two in your fridge, it's sure to go rotten. So, I must say I was so pleasantly surprised when I bumped into this (see picture above and below) at Fairway supermarket this week. A perfectly peeled, halved and scooped butternut squash- like music to my ears! You would have thought I ran into Matt Damon or something- these sort of things make me blush with excitement. Sad, but true. In any case, I sincerely hope you can find this beauty in your local supermarket- and if you do, here is a simple, delicious recipe that you can whip up in not time with it. It's what I call "Butternut Squash Bake"- it's half sweet, half savory, half side-dish, half dessert...One of those. I serve this at brunch, with dinner, or even as an after-dinner dessert. Regardless of how it's classified or how you choose to serve it, I promise you will have no leftovers- adults and kids go crazy for this. It's a little Thaksgiving-y in flavor, but then again, who doesn't love Thanksgiving?

Butternut Squash Bake
Makes 2 Pies
(Why would I need 2 pies you ask? Throw one in the freezer and thank me later!)

1 butternut squash, doesen't really matter the size, peeled, seeded and cut in half
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons butter (or margarine, if you must)
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup whole milk (or soy milk- I like to buy the individual 'juice box' servings of soy milk to keep on hand for cooking- you never really need that much, and whenever I buy the larger size, I ended throwing it away while it's still full. The smaller ones really come in handy and usually can be stored in the pantry.)
1/2 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract (it really makes a difference)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven 350. Place the squash in a large pot of boiling water, boil for about 20 minutes, until cooked through and very soft. Drain, and mash with a large fork or a potato masher. Set aside to cool for a few minutes. In a large bowl, combine the mashed squash, flour, baking powder, butter, sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Use a whisk to mix them all together. Divide the batter into 2 greased pie dishes. Sprinkle cinnamon over the tops of each pie. Bake, uncovered for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, serve immediately or cool and refrigerate until ready to serve. You can reheat it slightly before serving. If you are going to freeze this, cover well with foil or plastic wrap before freezing. Enjoy!

Simple but so delicious.