Creamy Mashed Squash

Is it too soon to start dreaming about Thanksgiving side dishes? We only have a little more than a month to go so I’m going to say not.

The truth is, warm, comforting Holiday dishes are so good there’s no reason not to eat them all season long, except that they might fill you out a little too fast. Mashed squash is a great healthy substitution for mashed potatoes when it’s not loaded with too many sticks of butter(I’m looking at you, Pioneer Woman).

This recipe calls for a very specific type of squash: Buttercup squash, otherwise known as kabocha squash or Japanese pumpkin. This variety cooks softer and starchier than most other varieties so that it mashes more like a sweet potato but still has that distinct squash flavor to it. You can find buttercup squash at most grocery stores; I find mine at the farmers’ market where it’s probably cheapest at $4 a squash.

Creamy Mashed Squash

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients(Makes 4-6 servings):

• 1 medium-sized buttercup squash
• 6 Tablespoons butter*
• 2 Tablespoons cream or milk*
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of nutmeg

*You can also use dairy-free alternatives in place of both of these and make the dish vegan.

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut the squash in half and remove the filling and the seeds.
3. Roast the flesh of the squash skin-on until it’s soft and scoopable—about an hour.
4. Remove the halves from the oven and wait until they’re cool enough to handle.
5. Carefully scoop the flesh away from the skin and combine it in a mixing bowl. Discard the remaining skin.
6. Add the butter, cream, salt, and nutmeg to the squash and mash it with a potato masher until smooth. For an even quicker and smoother method, put all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.
7. Transfer the squash to a serving bowl and serve hot.

My favorite part is the pat of butter on top. It reminds me when growing up I would steal the cold foil-wrapped slices of butter from the bread basket at restaurants and eat them plain. This recipe—I hope–is a little more appetizing than that, though.