How to Bake Acorn Squash with Brown Sugar

Baking acorn squash, simple and easy steps to having a great hot, sweet and nutritious side dish.

Things You'll Need

• 2-Acorn squash, or as many as needed, one serves at least four.
• 1/2-Cup Butter, per 2 squash
• 1/2-Cup Soft brown sugar
• Large flat pan or baking dish about 3 inches deep.
• Water, enough to keep squash from burning to bottom of dish.
• Oven bake, not microwave.
• Aluminum foil to cover dish or lid if dish has one.
• Sharp knife

Instructions

1. Remove any stickers the store may have placed on the squash. Wash the outer surface in warm water and food safe cleanser. Using a knife that is large and sharp enough to cut the squash into halves make a cut across the center of the squash and set each half aside for a few minutes.

   Next lay out the other ingredients in the order you plan to use them. The baking dish, the water, the sugar and butter. There is no real order that will make it any better or less tasty, just less messy.

2. Remove the seeds with a spoon or your fingers from the center cavity of the squash. Place the squash into the baking pan with the center of the squash facing upward. This creates a little pond for the sugar and butter. If you need to make the squash sit up better, cut a flat section from the stem and blossom end of the squash to flatten it. But don't cut deep enough to cut into the seed area.

3. Now that you have the squash ready to go pour the water into the bottom of the pan. Squash have enough natural water to keep moist, so this need only be to enough to keep it steamy the entire cooking time. Now that you have the squash into the pan, spread some soft butter over the tops of the cut edge, and lay some into the bottom of the squash cavity. If you like a lot of butter this is a good time to splurge. Otherwise just enough to make the brown sugar stick to the surface is needed.

4. The squash is now ready for the final tasty step. Sprinkle brown sugar over the entire surface of the squash and into the cavity. It will melt with the butter and make a really sticky syrup while baking, and this is a popular feature of this squash. So don't be stingy with the sugar. But if you are watching sugars or calories then a small amount will also be perfect.
   Place foil over the entire pan or dish, and bake in pre-heated oven until a fork slides easily into the flesh of the squash, about 45 minutes will make a great tender squash, with nice syrup.

Tips & Warnings

• Be careful when raising the lid or foil cover, since there will be a lot of steam. The squash can be served right from the dish if you desire, but removing and cutting into serving pieces may be necessary if making for several people. Cut each into quarters for a good sized serving, one half squash is nice if not too large for one person also.

• If checking during baking time wear an oven mitt to protect from steam burn. When baking is done, set onto a heat proof surface.