Tender and naturally sweet roasted acorn squash drenched with a buttery brown sugar and cinnamon sauce. A quick and easy crowd-pleasing holiday recipe!
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Prepare the squash for baking
Microwave the squash on high for about one minute before cutting. This will make the squash easier to cut into.
Next, cut the squash in half sticking a heavy sharp knife down inside the top of the squash near the stem. Push the knife down towards the bottom of the squash.
Be sure to keep your fingers out of the way of the knife. Rotate the squash around so that you cut it all the way through. Sometimes they are tough to get open.
A rubber mallet is useful for tapping the knife through the squash. If the knife gets stuck, carefully give the squash a few firm whacks on the counter, until it releases the knife. Sometimes this will help the knife penetrate all the way through.
Spoon out the seeds and scrape the stringy pulp until the inside of the acorn squash half is smooth; discard the seeds and pulp.
Season the squash
Place the squash, cut side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Divide the butter in half and spread inside each half of the squash. Then combine the brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl and season with salt to taste. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture inside of each squash half.
Roast the Squash
Roast the squash for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the top of the squash halves have a nice brown color and they are cooked through. The more you roast the more caramelized it becomes, so don’t worry about overcooking it. It’s better than an undercooked squash any day!
Serve the Squash
Remove the squash from the oven and allow them to cool slightly. Baste the squash with any of the buttery brown sugar sauce that did not absorb into the squash before serving.
Notes
One acorn aquash typically serves two people.Select an acorn squash that doesn't have a lot of orange on it , and feels heavy for its size with a smooth dull skin, free of spots and blemishes.Recipe adapted from Delish.com
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