By Jodee Weiland

I had never baked an acorn squash before, so I thought it was definitely time to do so, especially since I am so fond of so many varieties of squash. I already make butternut squash often with brown sugar, butter, chopped walnuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Sweet Butternut Squash with Chopped Walnuts is a family favorite in our home. Because my family enjoys it so much, I decided to try something similar with acorn squash for my Baked Acorn Squash with Brown Sugar and Cinnamon. The biggest difference is that it is far easier to make. The other difference is that it has butter, brown sugar, and a sprinkle of cinnamon, but no nutmeg or walnuts.

The idea for the acorn squash was to make it very lightly sweetened with a touch of cinnamon. For this reason, I chose not to add the maple syrup usually seen in a recipe of this sort. I also wanted this dish to be easier to make, something that could be put together quickly to go along with the main course. Since it takes a while to bake, this could be prepared and put in the oven before getting the main course put together. Just time it, so it will be ready when the rest of the meal is done.

Baked Acorn Squash with Brown Sugar and Cinnamon

1 to 2 acorn squash (1/2 acorn squash per person)
1 tablespoon brown sugar per half of acorn squash
1 tablespoon unsalted butter per half of acorn squash
Cinnamon (a sprinkle per half of acorn squash)
Sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Clean and cut in half your butternut squash. With a tablespoon scrape the inside of each half clean, removing all seeds and stringy pulp. Once done, score the inside with a knife crossing over one way and then the other. Sprinkle the inside with a little sea salt, but just a little. Place the halves in a baking dish inside facing up. Put 1 to 2 cups of water in the bottom of the dish or about 1/4” to 3/8”. Put 1 tablespoon of butter in each half, followed by 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon for each half.

When done, put the acorn squash in the oven to bake at 350 degrees for the 60 minutes or until tender. After the squash is cooked, spread the melted butter and sugar mixture over the inside of the squash and the top edges carefully with a spoon. Then serve the squash with the rest of the meal.

Baked Acorn Squash with Brown Sugar and Cinnamon has just the slightest hint of sweetness. It works well with just about any meal and is so easy to make. Served with a main course and any other vegetable, it enhances the flavors of everything with its very slight sweetness and flavor. This makes a great side dish and you can easily adapt the number of people to be served by the halves of the acorn squash. We definitely enjoyed this addition to our meal and will be having it again soon. If you decide to try it, enjoy!