By: EatingWell
Photographer: Burris, Ken
Publish Date: 2008-11-01
Servings: 6
Yield: 6 servings
Total Time: 1 hour
Prep Time: 40 minutes
To Make Ahead: Prepare the sauce (Step 4); cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Reheat just before serving.
Recipe Description:
A richly flavored caramelized shallot-cider sauce turns baked butternut squash rounds into a beautiful starter or side dish for a fall party.
Recipe Ingredients:
- 1 3-pound butternut squash, with a 6-inch-long neck (see Shopping Tip)
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 cups thinly sliced shallots, (8-10 medium)
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cup apple cider
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (see Tip)
Recipe Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Cut off the neck of the squash and peel it. Slice into twelve 1/2-inch-thick rounds; remove any stray fibrous threads or seeds in the centers. (Reserve the rest of the squash for another use, such as squash puree). Place the squash rounds on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with foil.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, brown sugar and salt and reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring often, until the shallots are softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in cider and vinegar and cook until most of the liquid is evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes.
- To serve, place 1 squash round on a small plate and top with about 2 1/2 tablespoons shallot sauce. Place a second round on top and finish with another 2 1/2 tablespoons of sauce and a sprinkling of walnuts. Repeat with the remaining squash, shallot sauce and walnuts.
Recipe Tips & Notes:
- Shopping Tip: Look for a squash with a long slender neck like a goose—at least 6 inches long and about 3 inches wide.
- Tip: To toast chopped walnuts, heat a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add nuts and cook, stirring, until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
Recipe Nutrition:
Per serving: 203 calories; 11 g fat (1 g saturated fat, 4g mono unsaturated fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrates; 4 g protein; 2 g fiber; 203 mg sodium; 536 mg potassium
Nutrtion Bonus: Vitamin C (25% daily value), Vitamin A (20% dv).
Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 fat
Carbohydrate Servings: 1 1/2
Recipe Categories:
- Course(s)
- Appetizer
- Dinner
- Cuisine(s)
- American
- Degree of Difficulty
- Easy
- Special Health Consideration(s)
- Low Calorie
- Low Sat Fat
- Low Cholesterol
- Low Sodium
- High Potassium
- Heart Healthy
- Seasons & Occassions
- Fall
- Winter
- Christmas
- Halloween
- Thanksgiving
- New Year's
- Entertainment
- Housewarming
- Technique(s)
- Bake
- Roast
- Dish Type(s)
- Side Dishes
- Appetizers
Recipe Disclaimer(s):
Scaling Disclaimer: EatingWell recipes are tested extensively in the EatingWell Test Kitchen. Eating Well cannot guarantee a recipe that has been scaled to make a different number of servings from the original. Also note that scaling only applies to the ingredient measurements: no adjustment is made to the recipe instructions, so pan sizes and cooking times and ingredient amounts referred to in the text of the recipe only apply to the original number of servings.
Gluten-Free Disclaimer: We have verified that these recipes do not include the following gluten-containing ingredients: wheat (all varieties, including spelt and kamut, wheat germ or bran and other forms of wheat protein), rye, barley (in all forms, including malt, malt flavoring, malt vinegar and malt extract), oats, triticale or beer/ale. However, many processed foods, such as broths, soy sauce and other condiments, may contain hidden sources of gluten. If a recipe calls for a packaged (e.g., canned) ingredient, we recommend that you carefully read the label to be sure it does not contain a hidden source of gluten.
