Roasted Acorn Squash

A few weeks ago we were at our local farmers' market when I saw what I thought were gourds and picked them up because I thought they would make a great fall decoration.  As I was paying, I was informed that what I picked up was an acorn squash and that I needed to EAT it!  So...after a bit of research, I decided to try roasting it.  Even my husband, who was totally unsure, could not stop raving about this roasted acorn squash! 

They really could not be easier to prepare!  Cut in half (ok, yes that is the hard part!! Good knife and a steady hand!), remove the seeds and it's 4 ingredients - butter, coconut sugar, cinnamon and sea salt.  Be prepared because it does take a little over an hour for these to roast. I honestly had no idea they would take that long and they weren't exactly ready when the rest of our dinner was...

Such a great fall side dish!  I served ours with Crock Pot rotisserie chicken.  With the leftovers the next day, I scraped out the squash, then mixed diced chicken together and it was amazing.  Clean eating is fun and does not have to be boring...

Acorn squash is a winter squash and when choosing one, it should feel firm on the outside with no blemishes.  Don't they look pretty even after being roasted?  This dish would be a beautiful side for the Holidays.  And they are a great source of vitamins - A (beta carotene from the orange flesh) and C, also iron and riboflavin.  Enjoy!!

Serves 4

Roasted Acorn Squash

2 small acorn squash, cut in half and seeds removed
4 teaspoons organic butter
4 teaspoons coconut sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
sea salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Assemble acorn squash on a baking sheet. Place 1 teaspoon of butter and coconut sugar in each half.  Add 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon in each and season with salt.  Bake until golden and tender, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, basting flesh of squash several times. Serve warm.