[Thighs Be Gone]

Hey Ladies.

I am baking butternut squash today..and OMGoodness..the smells are amazing..it's a rainy day here--perfect day for casserole comfort food...

Okay, here's the question. I LOVE THIS STUFF. I just bought two bags of frozen butternut squash. It's enough to make a casserole serving 4 people or in this house--two people. The problem--it's 2.39 a bag. So, the casserole gets higher than I would like it to be.

Cutting and dicing fresh butternut squash is a pain in the butt. Does anyone else have a frozen butternut squash source that is cheap? I bought this at Central Market--which is the higher end HEB.

[yoyoma]

How go you prepare the squash? I'd like an easy way. I usually just buy the frozen pureed stuff since no one else in my family appreciates it.

But Market Basket carries largish bags of frozen peeled bnut squash. It's a cost-conscious chain.

Good luck finding some cheap!

[Thighs Be Gone]

I use it to make casserole or hashbrowns. I like doing mixins like diced, lean ham...diced onion, green onions, salt and pepper--all sauteed with non-fat cooking spray...you can top with itty bitty bit of cheddar cheese or non-fat sour cream.

I will check my area for Market Basket. The bags I used today were only 10 ounces each--I have to use at least two bags at a time. Otherwise, it just isn't enough for us.

[bargoo]

I use fresh butternut squash , put the whole thing in the microwave for a few minutes , just untill it feels a little soft. Take it out and cut it and scoop out the seeds then proceed with your recipe. Squash is sooooo much easier to cut this way.

[harrismm]

I make it all of the time.not frozen though.I buy regular butternut squash.Puncture several times with a knife.Bake at 400 for 2 hours until outside is dark.I place it directly on oven rack.I do place a cookie sheet on rack below it to catch juices.I let it cool and then slice down middle,remove seeds and then use spuash for soups or whatever.Easy and cheap.I usually roast 2 at a time.

[Leenie]

I peel the skin off with my peeler, kinda like a potato, then dice it up and either bake it or boil it. Once you get the skin off w/the peeler its not bad to cut up.

[WildThings]

The only kind I have ever seem frozen is pureed, and the recipes I usually use need diced, so I have to use fresh. While it's not helpful in a sense of finding a more cost effective frozen source, a tip for fresh-you must have a good peeler. I have an awesome peeler that I got a few months ago, only $3.50, but it peels the squash as easy as is does white potatoes. I can't remember the brand, but just a heavy duty, sharp peeler makes a world of difference.

[Thighs Be Gone]

The peeling part I dont mind. In the past I have always grated my b. squash to make hashbrowns or casserole or whatnot. It KILLS my hands nowadays. Surely dicing will be easier.

As far as finding the butternut squash frozen--check higher end stores or farmers markets. That's the only place I have found it.