It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...Fall?

Did you know that the first day of Autumn was this week? True story! Though I can't pin down the exact day, as it seems to differ depending on what part of the world you live. Anyway, I'm so excited! I love Fall! Fall is when the holiday season starts again, the leaves change colors, and the temperature lowers to what my husband Mike calls "snuggle weather". Best of all, though--yes, better than snuggle weather--Fall has all the best foods and flavors. In my opinion, anyway. Cinnamon, nutmeg, squash, corn, cranberries, pumpkins, apples...need I go on? Even as I sit here and type, I am enjoying a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks, available starting in Autumn every year. Like I said, I love everything about this season. That being the case, I decided to start breaking out some of my Autumn recipes. One of my favorites made the post this week.



Butternut Turkey Bake
1 med butternut squash (ab 2-1/2 pounds)
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp butter
2 cup seasoned salad croutons
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cup cubed cooked turkey
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cut squash in half; discard seeds. Place cut side down in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan; add 1/2 in. of hot water. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes.

Drain water from pan; turn squash cut side up. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until tender. Scoop out pulp; mash and set aside.

In a large skillet, sauté onion in butter until tender. Stir in the croutons, salt, poultry seasoning and pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes longer or until croutons are toasted. Stir in the squash, turkey and broth; heat through.

Transfer to a greased 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until edges are bubbly and cheese is melted.


The first issue comes with getting rid of all of that nasty pulp and seeds. I found that scraping around the edge with a spoon and a little elbow grease got the job done quite nicely. A grapefruit spoon might have been even better, but I don't own one, so I couldn't try.


These beautiful gourds came from my local farmer's market. I do love how long squash lasts (a few weeks if you buy them fresh and keep them dry). I could have waited a while to make the dish if I wanted to.


I know the recipe calls for cubed turkey, but I had ground from my meat CSA, so I used that instead. I think I prefer the ground; it integrates better.


Your squash will cave in a little during the first bake session. That's okay. I also moved the squash out of the pan to drain it. Trust me, this is the best method.


Tongs! My bestest cooking buddies. I double-fist these whenever possible.


As you can see by the demolished skin in the upper right-hand corner, my first attempt was...not good. I found, however, that if you keep the skin intact and just carefully scoop out the filling, you'll be left with neat, empty skins and expertly extracted squash-meat.


As you can see, there's a lot of stuff to be added together, so make sure to use a big pan.


We added the cheese just like the directions said, but, honestly, I think the cheese would be better all mixed in. Also, I know I didn't use cheddar here, but it wasn't thawed and the Mexican blend was.

I really, really love this dish. It's almost a complete meal (we threw some green beans in as a side) and it's super tasty! I have to say, though, I think there's room for variation. What about adding some dried and re-hydrated cranberries for some kicks of sweetness? Or chopped walnuts for crunch? Or corn for added texture? The possibilities are endless! I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do. It's a great kickoff to Fall.