Acorn Squash are plentiful this time of year, but without a recipe for acorn squash, most shoppers avoid this large, heavy, ugly, tough orb because it is intimidating. “Where would I begin to know how to cook that thing”? people ask themselves. Even if they’re brave enough to buy it, they now need to search for recipes. That takes time. That takes effort. It’s not fun.
Below is my simple “recipe” for Squash Gratin. Recipe is in quotes because as you follow this procedure, you are free to make changes and enhancements as you develop your own recipe. But don’t worry – I’ll give you enough tips to make it easy! Let’s get started…
Acorn squash is a tough nut to crack, so some basic knife skills are in order to remove the waxy outer skin. With a serrated slicing knife, I first remove the top and bottom of the squash. Then, carving around the contour, I remove all the skin, revealing the bright yellow/orange color of the flesh. Cut it in half, remove the seeds, and cut it into cubes.
Next, we will be roasting (or baking) the squash, which is a basic cooking method that uses hot air to transfer heat to food. This is called a dry convective cooking process. The only problem with cooking with dry air is that it dries out the product your cooking. Moisture evaporates in a hot oven, giving you dry results.
We’ll add moisture to this dish by creating a simple white sauce. Having combined butter and flour to create roux, I added milk and goat cheese to create a creamy, cheesy, bright white sauce. Once we coat our cubed acorn squash in the white sauce, it will help retain moisture through the long, dry cooking process.
You don’t need to make your own white sauce in creating this recipe for acorn squash. Condensed soups work very well in helping keep your foods from drying out in the oven. This is a quick and easy way to create a flavorful recipe for acorn squash without much cooking knowledge at all.
Chopped walnuts are a Fall flavor that would compliment this dish, so I’ve chosen to include them in my creation. Once spooned into a casserole dish and topped with bread crumbs or shredded cheese, we’ve created our own recipe for acorn squash – an Acorn Squash Gratin.
You can use this very same method to create any recipe you desire, using any products you desire. Don’t avoid the fresh ingredients of Fall because you’d have to search for written instructions. Once you think about HOW you’ll cook the item, you’ll be creating your own recipes for acorn squash using these suggestions.
What variations on my Acorn Squash Gratin might you suggest? Leave me a comment below with your improvements to my method.
“Burn Your Recipes” and Cook Like a Chef at Home with my cooking DVDs!
The Complete cooking DVDcollection for cooking without recipes.
I haven’t found that the acorn squash has tasted gummy at all. It has seemed as tender and cooked as if my wife has labored to produce it in the oven. That’s what drew me to the method, I guess. It does seem to work for me. Does anyone else find it to produce a gummy texture?
I have used a much simpler method of effectively cooking acorn squash:
Take a whole uncooked acorn squash and pierce the skin of the squash four times. Cook whole squash 8-10 minutes in the microwave oven until soft to touch. Cut in half, remove the seeds. Season or fill with your desired filling. Cook covered in the microwave oven for 5-6 more minutes. Serve.
Simple, quick, and great for a nutritious and tasty side dish for a meal.
That sounds easy. Don’t you find that the microwave makes the squash kind of “gummy”?