Sweet and Salty Butternut Squash French Fries Recipe (2024)
Crisp and tender butternut squash fries are super healthy for kids and simple to make! Turn this fall favorite veggie into the ultimate baked fry (and don’t forget the ketchup!)
Move over sweet potatoes, there’s a new orange fry in town! Kids who flip for french fries will love these crispy and tender sticks hot from the oven with a ketchup dipper on the side.
These healthy baked fries are simply seasoned with a little garlic powder and sea salt, (the sweetness comes from the gorgeous fall squash itself,) and they’re super-charged with nutrition your kids need.
Scroll to learn more, including our tip for cutting whole squash, which takes the fuss out of handling this sometimes-intimidating veggie.
Does Butternut Squash Taste Like Sweet Potato?
Are you new to squash fries? Then you might be wondering what exactly is going to come out of your oven.
Butternut squash does taste something like sweet potato. It has a sweet and earthy/floral flavor, and fairly high starch content, much like sweet potatoes and yams.
A good butternut squash is a bit less dense and more moist than a sweet potato. If sweet potato fries sometimes seem “heavy” to you, you might prefer squash fries.
Why Your Kids Should Eat More Squash
For a lot of families, carrots are the go-to orange veggie for lunchboxes, salads, and sides. (This is great! Keep eating those carrots.) But there’s also a wide world of orange veggies out there that are fantastically good for your kids.
Orange vegetables like butternut squash. are packed with special nutrients like Vitamin A, potassium, and flavenoids. (These are colorful chemical compounds in plants that carry special health benefits.)
Orange veggies also taste sweet and can be prepared in a lot of different ways. This makes them a great candidate for picky eaters who are still learning to branch out.
Choose squash to add more flavor variety and more of those unique nutrients to your kids’ diet… especially during the months of August-November, when squashes are in peak season.
The Trick to Cutting Butternut Squash Easily
Butternut squash is HARD. If you’ve ever tried to tackle a whole raw squash with a big knife, you know what a pain it can be.
Here’s how to make cutting one a breeze: par bake that bad boy. Just pop that whole squash in a 375 F oven for about thirty minutes, and it’ll soften up just enough for you to slice it easily… and you’ll keep all your fingers too!
This is a great trick you can use any time you need smaller-sized pieces of squash like cubes or fry shapes.
Once your squash is softened and cooled, peel it with a vegetable peeler. Then get a big, sharp knife and slice the squash longways. Scoop out the seeds to compost (or roast them like you would pumpkin seeds.)
From here you can just slice into fry shapes. We like them fairly thin (keep in mind they’ll shrink a little in the oven.) Thinner fries get nice and tender on the inside at the same time the outside gets golden and crisp.
Serving Suggestions for Squash Fries
Whenever there’s a french fry shape involved, you can’t go wrong with ketchup. You can also dip these fries in a simple garlic mayo sauce, or any creamy salad dressing for a more savory (dare I saw more sophisticated?) dish.
The fries are somewhat delicate (like a thin potato fry) so you’ll probably want to avoid a dipper that’s too dense.
Finally, butternut squash fries make an awesomely kid-friendly side dish with dinner. Pair them with chicken or beef and eat them with a fork, like you’d eat a side of green beans.
First, place butternut squash in it’s whole form in the oven at about 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. This will just soften it up enough to cut it up, while not cooking it.
Once soft, cut in half. Scoop out the seeds, and cut away the skin.
Slice flesh into french fry size sticks.
Arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, garlic salt and any other seasonings you choose.
Increase temperature to 425 and cook for about 25 minutes, or until the fries get browned, yet not burned. (time will vary depending on the size of your sticks)
I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.
Dry cooking methods such as roasting and sauteeing tend to bring a squash's sugars to the fore. You might want to blanch or par-cook the squash in a little bit of water before sauteeing; that would diminish the sweetness somewhat but allow you to finish the dish in the prescribed fashion.
To begin with, the butternut squash beats the sweet potato with fewer calories, carbs and sugar per serving. Moreover, it is rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins B6 and E. On the other hand, the sweet potato, however, provides more fiber and protein.
We suspect that sweet potatoes would be a good substitute if you can't find butternut squash. There is no need to peel the sweet potatoes, just scrub the skins and then cut into 2-3cm (approx. 1-inch) pieces.
Sweet, moist and nutty tasting, the flavor of butternut squash is a bit like sweet potatoes—or, some say, butterscotch. Because it's so dense, you get more servings per fruit than you might with other squash varieties. The rind is edible (once cooked), but it's more commonly peeled away.
i recommend countering that sweetness with a bit of acid — a squeeze of lemon or some vinegar. you probably won't need too much, just add a bit and taste. if you need more, add gradually.
In a large bowl mix the cubed squash, garlic cloves and ginger with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the spice mix. Season with salt and pepper and scatter in a single layer in a roasting tray. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes until tender all the way through.
Butternut squash is a low-calorie food and is packed with nutrients. While it's higher in carbs than some other veggies, its low glycemic index (a ranking of how carbs affect blood sugar) still makes it a healthy choice for most people.
If you have diabetes, it can help keep your blood sugar from rising after eating. Butternut squash also has a low glycemic index, which means that its carbs are digested more slowly. This also helps keep blood sugar from rising.
Nguyen said that people with diabetes can "confidently" eat butternut squash and sweet potato interchangeably, "as per their individual needs of carbohydrate intake." However, when in doubt, always consult with your doctor (and moderation is key).
Generally, butternut squash is safe to feed to most pooches, unless your vet has advised otherwise. As a guide, we would recommend feeding small dogs no more than 1 or 2 teaspoons of butternut squash, whilst bigger dogs can eat up to 3 or 4 tablespoons of butternut squash.
In addition to vitamins A and C, butternut squash is also rich in carotenoid plant pigments and minerals like potassium, magnesium, and manganese. Like acorn squash, butternut squash can be used in both savory and sweet dishes, such as baked goods, grain dishes, and soups.
If you're looking for a tasty, low-calorie addition to your dog's diet, you're in luck: Dogs can eat squash safely. In fact, this garden staple has many potential benefits when prepared correctly and given in moderation.
That's right, you can eat butternut squash raw (yep, we said it). Raw butternut squash is carrot-like and holds up well in crunchy salads and slaws. If opting for raw squash over cooked squash, start by peeling away the tough outer skin (FYI, you can eat the skin when it's cooked.
Butternut squash is regarded as a superfood for its ability to boost immunity, support eye health, aid digestion and enhance cognitive function. It's a true nutritional powerhouse packed with essential vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.
If it's underripe, the squash won't have developed its signature taste. If it's overripe, it may be dry, mushy or flavorless. Follow these tips the next time you're at the grocery store or farmers market to find the perfect recipe-ready butternut squash.
The flesh of the butternut squash is a deep orange color, with a distinctive butterscotch flavor that most people find delicious. They are quite tasty either steamed or baked and are excellent topped with maple syrup! The smaller squash tend to be the sweetest.
If it's underripe, the squash won't have developed its signature taste. If it's overripe, it may be dry, mushy or flavorless. Follow these tips the next time you're at the grocery store or farmers market to find the perfect recipe-ready butternut squash.
If soup that becomes too sweet from adding too much sugar or an ingredient added too much sweetness, try adding a little salt to tame down the sweetness.
Which is healthier: butternut squash or sweet potato? Both are great sources of vitamins and minerals, particularly antioxidants like beta-carotene. Sweet potatoes are about double calories, carbs, and sugar per serving than butternut squash. That being said, it does have more fiber and protein than butternut squash.
Introduction: My name is Carlyn Walter, I am a lively, glamorous, healthy, clean, powerful, calm, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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