Cider Glazed Squash

I know butternut squash is not the lowest carb food around. We do have it for a treat now and then, and it is great for the holidays. Lower in carbs than sweet potatoes anyway. While I was testing some recipes for November's newsletter, I tried this out. This month's issue is devoted to side dishes so you can have a wonderful holiday with maybe a few new treats. My, oh my, I loved the glaze! The mixture of flavors is wonderful. The apple cider vinegar really makes a statement. The squash is tender and caramelized and buttery and just a little sweet. I adore sage, so this recipe was perfection in my book.

If you don't have much oven space on Thanksgiving, this is prepared on the stove top. I am thinking, it would be fine to make it a day ahead and rewarm also. Haven't tried it though. The only drawback with this recipe is the effort involved. I generally bake or steam squash. This recipe requires the chunks to go into the skillet raw. That adds up to much more effort peeling and cutting. You decide if it is worth it. I am thinking I need some good muscle building workouts anyway, so this is just bonus. I tried peeling the butternut with my vegetable peeler. It worked, but then when I was dicing, I noticed that part of the leathery skin remained. So I ended up whacking off some extra outer skin while I was dicing. Might as well have skipped that initial peel, I think.

The squash my hubby came home with was huge. Baby Huey huge. (Am I dating myself with that one?) I only diced up half of it and filled my skillet. I did not drag out the scale for a precise measurement, so if you eyeball a skillet full of squash cubes, you are good to go. A little more of the glaze ingredients can always be added. I was out of pecans, so I didn't even add those and these were still great.

Cider Glazed Butternut Squash

If the oven is full, this flavorful dish can be made on the stovetop. Plus you get your workout peeling and dicing!

3 pounds butternut squash

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup water

3 tablespoons erythritol

2 tablespoons butter 

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper 

1 tsp. dried sage

1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

 

Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove and discard seeds. Cut off hard shell and dice into bite sized chunks.

Stir together squash, apple cider, water, erythritol, butter, salt, pepper and sage in a deep-sided, lidded skillet over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes. Uncover and cook 5 minutes or until liquid thickens and squash is tender. Gently stir in pecans and sage and serve.