Wow, Annie. That's A LOT of squash. I guess the groundhogs didn't eat too much of your garden!

I bet you have recipes for all kinds of squash dishes.

Well, I need more recipes, LOL. I did find that the squash will keep in my backroom, which is unheated but doesn't freeze. I often eat this year's squash at Easter next year, but I keep sorting them and when it seems like they are starting to go bad, I bake, mash and freeze it in 2 cup portions.

The butternuts just went crazy this year. Last year it was the hokkaido that I had a bunch of, this year I have about a dozen, and that's the groundhog's fault. He much preferred the hokkaido to the butternut, so at least they acted as a decoy, I guess.

I stopped at a local Amish farm, my Mother wanted a couple of mums for her doorstep. The surprisingly chatty (for an Amish woman) lady of the house sold me her last two Delicata, which I did not grow, and pointed to a large pile of butternut. She said that the butternut did amazingly well this year, while the delicata struggled and the acorn squash just did "OK", so I'm in good company with those storing squash.

I have found that the butternut makes a perfectly good "pumpkin" pie, I used some today in a Moroccan type stew with lentils and various spices, and I have a bread recipe that takes mashed butternut squash, but I still like it best just cubed and roasted.

Annie

I hake a squash/pumpkin soup....but it's not sweet and the recipe originated in the Southwest.....has cumin, red pepper and onions....no cinnamon.
Shout if you want me to dig it out.

I don't care for all the sweet stuff. I would roast the squash in chunks with some shallots. Cook a few leeks in butter, add chicken stock, the squash and onions and blitz.

I go for savory too -- I find ginger is a good addition along with the leeks and shallots. I saute some chopped celery too.

I've butternut, pumpkin, and acorn squash soup recipes, all of which I love. Just that time of year : ) Annie, I'd agree, I think butternut would make a nice sub for pumpkin. My squash soups tend to be savory, with a hint of spice for what I'd call sweet, and I think they are all similar in flavor. That's wonderful you can keep them that long!

Thank you for the recipe, Annie. I LOVE Panera's Autumn Squash Soup so am anxious to try your recipe.

Linda, I'd appreciate your recipe too.

I prefer to bake the squash before making soup. it improves the flavor. First I cut the raw squash in half lengthwise and fill each pocket with a bit of butter and a teaspoon of brown sugar. Bake until tender. Allow to cool. Saute one sliced large yellow onion in a pan until transparent then add 3 cups of chicken broth, the baked squash scraped from their shells and a touch of S/P . Stir to combine and simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove from fire, add one can of condensed milk and chosen spices. If using stronger spices beyond nutmeg and cinnamon you might want to add them at the beginning of the cooking process. Blend all together with a hand blender until smooth.

I make a butternut squash bisque.

Butternut Squash Bisque

2 TB. olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped carrots

6 cups butternut squash, cut in large cubes

1 teaspoon hot curry powder (or to taste)

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger (or to taste)

S&P

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup half ’n half

In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil and saute onion & carrots until onion is translucent. Add squash and seasonings, stirring to mix well, then add chicken broth.

Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer until squash is soft.

Remove from heat and puree with immersion blender. Add half ’n half. Return to heat to warm.

Here ya go.....

Killer pumpkin soup

3T butter..in a 4 qt heavy pan
Sautee 1/2 cup chopped onion and two or 3 cloves garlic, chopped, until soft
Add 2 T flour, stir and cook a minute or so
Whisk in 4 cups of chicken broth and bring to a slow simmer
Add one can pumpkin and stir and simmer 1 ½ cups puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling.
Add one small can chopped green chilis
Chili powder to taste....I use about 2 teaspoons
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp crushed cumin seeds (start with less unless you are sure you like
cumin)....simmer 20 minutes or so to blend flavors
One 3 oz package cream cheese, cut into bits ( so it dissolved faster) Heat and
stir until smooth…do not boil after adding cream cheese!!
Just before serving add 2 Tblsps dry sherry.

I guess I will need more butternut squash to make all of these. Thanks everyone!

butternut squash is so versatile. We grew acorn, which are great baked, and butternut on grandfather's farm. The go-to recipe for butter nut was peel, slice into 1 inch chunks and put them in a frypan with butter and a bit of salt and brown sugar.

As a twist on a cold day, you can mash the cooked squash and add the half-and-half and the chicken stock. We kids loved it.

I wonder if I would like this soup. I have never tried it, just does not seem appealing. I like pumpkin/squash pie, guess I need to go to Panera and try it

bragu, does the squash get done with the sauteing... how long? lid? no lid?

I just love love love butternut squash soup!! I kind of made up my own recipe...I bake on a cookie sheet usually two butternut squash until they are soft, take out and let cool a little bit. Then I sauté a medium chopped onion (pretty finely chopped) in butter (however much you dare, lol...I'm pretty generous) and put that and the scooped squash in the food processor and let it go....put the puree in a Dutch oven and add some ginger (powdered or the kind in the little refrigerated tube, but be careful and don't go crazy, you can always add more), salt and pepper, and a little cayenne or Emeril's essence...and add chicken broth and some cream or half and half until it's the consistency you like....pretty great and everyone who has eaten this loves it! So many good recipes out there for this lovely but often overlooked veggie!

I make mine like Andie, except I also add about a cup of well cooked and mashed red lentils. Ups the protein.

I halve and de-seed the butternuts, stuff the holes with chopped onions and roast them until soft. Scoop the flesh and onions into a pot, add a little butter and curry powder to taste. Fry off the curry powder for 2-3 minutes then add a can of coconut milk and enough chicken stock to make it liquid enough. Simmer then blitz with a stick blender- add more stock if necessary.

kate

Your choice. Have done it both ways. It is faster cooking with a lid, IMHO.

Slow and steady wins the race.

Colleen, is that more than one butternut squash with a can of coconut milk? I'd like to try it.

I hlghly recommend coconut milk in squash soup. I don’t use a recipe but I use one can of coconut milk in a large le creuset Dutch oven of soup.

Christine, it's one of those "what looks right" recipes with no hard and fast rules, but I'd make it one squash/one-two onions depending on the size and one 8 oz can of coconut milk.

Thanks, Coleen. It sounds really good.