Our favorite butternut squash soup

1 yellow onion, chopped
1 rib of celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 Tbsp butter
1 butternut squash, roasted and peeled,  chopped
1 tart green apple, peeled, cored, chopped
(squash and apple should be at a 3 to 1 ratio)
3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth if vegetarian)
Pinches of nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper

Combine butter, onion, celery, and carrot in large saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes. Add squash, apple, and broth. Bring to boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Puree. Add spices to taste.

Serves 4-6.

 The apple is the secret ingredient.  We loved this.  I wanted to lick my bowl.

Tastes of Autumn

This recipe is from The Barefoot Contessa.  We paired it with roasted chicken and caesar salad. I actually remembered to take a picture of my butternut squash and will upload it soon.  We bought this butternut squash from the co-op and I think it is the most delicious butternut squash I have ever had.  Last year, I bought some from a major grocery store chain and cooked it in a similar fashion.  It tasted horrible and almost ruined my passion for butternut squash.

Carmelized Butternut Squash

Serves 6

2	medium butternut squash (4 to 5 pounds total)
6-8	tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4	cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2	teaspoons salt
1/2-1	teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Cut off the ends of each butternut squash and discard.

3. Peel the squash and cut in half lengthwise.

4. Using a spoon, remove the seeds.

5. Cut the squash into 1 1/4″ to 1 1/2″ cubes (large and uniform is best), and place them on a baking sheet.

6. Add the melted butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper.

7. With clean hands, toss all of the ingredients together and spread out in a single layer on the baking sheet.

8. Roast for 45 minutes to 55 minutes, until the squash is tender and the glaze begins to caramelize.

9. Turn the squash while roasting a few times with a spatula to be sure it browns evenly.

10. Adjust seasonings if needed.

11. Serve hot.

Notes:  We halved the recipe since there are only two of us.  I also cut my squash into smaller pieces and cut down on cooking time.  However, I don’t think it carmelized as well as it would have with larger pieces.  

A Hearty Breakfast

Ernie and I prepared this last night and baked it this morning.  He took it to work with him and everyone enjoyed it.  In fact, next time we will need to make two since the casserole went quickly. 

This recipe is adapted from a recipe found on recipezaar.com. 

This is a very basic recipe and would be great for a large family.  The recipe said it had a serving size of 6 but I felt it could easily feed more, especially if served with fruit or another side dish.   

Spicy Breakfast Casserole 

1¼ hours, 12 min prep

1	lb breakfast sausage
2	cups chopped peppers, onions and garlic (to your liking)
1/2	cup sliced mushrooms
4	cups bread, cut in pieces (day or two old is best)
2	cups shredded assorted cheeses (we used a mixture of cheddar, parmesan, garlic cheddar and havarti, but most cheese could work)
10	eggs, lightly beaten
4	cups milk
1	teaspoon dry mustard
1	teaspoon salt
1/2	teaspoon onion powder
1/2	teaspoon garlic powder

1. Cook and crumble sausage and onion/pepper/garlic mixture, drain.

2. Put bread in well buttered 9×13 baking dish.

3. Sprinkle cheese over bread.

4. Combine the eggs, milk, and spices.

5. Pour over the bread and cheese.

6. Sprinkle sausage and mushrooms on top.

7. Cover and chill overnight.

8. Heat oven to 325*.

9. Bake, uncovered for 1 hour.  Let your casserole rest for a few moments before serving.

Notes: This is the basic recipe.  Feel free to add herbs and spices as you like.  For instance, we seasoned our meat with dried chile pepper, garam marsala and a few other similar spices.  I also used assorted herbs in my milk, eggs and spice mixture.  This is what added the spice.

We served this with sour cream and Roasted Green Chile Salsa from Bloomin’ Botanicals.

Your casserole may still have a small amount of liquid in the center when you take it out of the oven.  If you don’t want to risk overcooking the edge, you can cover your baking dish while it is still hot and let it sit 5-10 minutes. 

Note #2:  The following items were not purchased from the co-op:  sausage, milk, mushrooms and some of the cheese and spices.  We are still in the process of cleaning out our freezer.  Next time we use this recipe, all of our cheese and sausage will probably be bought from the co-op.