Healthy Thanksgiving Sides: Goat Cheese Smashed Butternut Squash

This squash is DELICIOUS. It’s creamy, slightly sweet, slightly tangy and a

completely satisfying addition to your Thanksgiving table. And best of all, you can

actually make it the day before because it re-heats beautifully.

For this dish, you gotta go with the whole butternut squash. It makes a much

sweeter and creamier puree and it’s easy to handle because you don’t have to peel

or dice the tough vegetable.

Simple cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and then

cut each half in half widthwise, so that you have two solid pieces and two hollow

pieces. This will help you easily puree the squash with a food mill or a ricer.

Basically, a potato ricer is a massive garlic press for root vegetables.

In my house, the ricer takes over all the mashing duties – from butternut squash,

to potatoes and turnips. It’s easy to clean, all in one piece and takes up way less

space than the food mill. The brand matters though because you’re using a lot of

pressure and the cheaper ones will eventually bend under the pressure. For your

money, the best buy is by RSVP Endurance. Get the jumbo size, you're gonna need it!

Try it out for on your Thanksgiving Table!

Goat Cheese Smashed Butternut Squash

6-8 servings

1 large butternut squash, cut in half and seeds removed

Olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Vegetable stock or milk

¼ cup goat cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Lightly coat the squash in olive oil and place cut side down in a baking sheet.

3. Roasted until fork tender, about 30-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

4. Place the butter in a small sauté pan over medium-low heat.

5. Add the onion and garlic along with a pinch of salt. Cook until softened and caramelized, stirring occasionally.

6. Using a ricer or food mill, puree the roasted squash and place into the pan.

7. Add enough vegetable stock to get the desired consistency.

8. Stir in the goat cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.