Roasted Acorn Squash

Roasted acorn squash is a wonderfully delicate and delicious way to prepare this Autumn vegetable. Acorn squash is not overly sweet like some other squash varieties making it a wonderful side dish to go with many meals.

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There is not much you need to do to make this delicious roasted squash. Because it has a delicate flavor, I do not like to add too much seasoning. I like to make sure I can taste the beautiful flavor.

If you want seasonings on your roasted squash, there are many additions that tastes amazing with it. Here are some of my favorite ways to spice up roasted acorn squash:

Seasoning ideas for roasted acorn squash:

• Parmesan roasted acorn squash. This one is really delicious and all you need to do is follow the recipe below and add about ⅓ cup of grated Parmesan before roasting.
• Brown sugar roasted acorn squash. This is a more classic way of seasoning acorn squash. Just follow the recipe below and sprinkle on about 2 tablespoons of brown sugar then bake. It will have a beautiful caramel color.
• Spiced roasted acorn squash. Squash always tastes great with a little heat. It tastes even better with a little hot and a little sweet. You can achieve this by mixing 2 tablespoons of brown sugar with ½ teaspoon chili powder. Sprinkle this seasoning on before baking and it will be delicious.

Do you need to peel the skin before cooking?

Another neat thing about this acorn squash recipe is that once it's roasted, the skin is edible. You do not need to peel anything before baking. You serve this roasted squash with the skin on and if someone does not want to eat it they can very easily pull the flesh away from the skin and not have to deal with it.

This makes my life so easy. I actually do not eat the skin and I do not mind scooping the roasted acorn squash away from the skin.

Preparing you acorn squash:

When you cut your acorn squash, it will be full of seeds that you will want to discard. I like to cut the very ends off my acorn squash, then cut it in half length wise and then scoop out the inside with a large spoon. You can roast the seeds or just discard them.

Once you have done that you can begin slicing your squash into these beautiful half moon shapes and then placing them on to your sheet pan. After that, it is just a little drizzle of olive oil, a light sprinkle of salt and pepper and done!

Remember, you can easily add different seasonings to this acorn squash recipe (see the seasoning ideas above). Depending on what you are serving with this squash or your mood, there is a seasoning for every occasion.

Change it up a bit-

Now, I use olive oil as my only liquid that I drizzle over top of the squash before roasting. Partly because of flavor and part because it gives a beautiful golden color to the squash. If you wanted a slighlty more decadent version of this, you could add 2 tbsps of melted butter to your olive oil and then drizzle that on before baking.

Pro tip:

If after the baking you do not see your squash looking as beautifully golden as you would like, just go ahead and place them under a broiler for a few minutes or until they are golden and beautiful on the outside.

If you are looking for more Fall recipes, you might like:

• Brussels Sprouts and Potato Gratin
• Roasted Acorn Squash and Carrot Soup
• Italian Style Brussels Sprouts
• Smashed Potatoes with Butter and Chives
• Fluffy Homemade Yogurt Biscuits
• Homemade Cranberry Sauce
• Sugared Cranberries