October 6, 2011: Squash Recipes

Of course, one thing you’ll see a lot of at the grocery store and farmer’s markets at this time of year are various types of squash. Personally I love squash of any kind (if you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m not very picky when it comes to food), however my husband had to eat it daily when he was a kid and his mom grew it by the truckload in their garden so he doesn’t get quite as excited as I do about the colors and shapes and textures of squashes.

I have a good friend at the grocery store, Brian, who manages the produce department. He let me know of some amazing, beautiful squashes that were available and I couldn’t resist buying some! So far, I’ve just used them as decorations on my fall table, as you can see here - but they should last for months so I consider it a very frugal way to decorate for autumn.

Brian recommends that when making squash, you use really good quality ingredients. His simple recipe:

Baked Squash

1 squash, your choice of variety such as acorn, spaghetti, butternut

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt (according to Brian, sea salt really brings out the sweetness of the squash)

Freshly ground black pepper

Basically, you just wash the squash and cut it in half. Scoop out the seeds and strings. Place the halves cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet greased with olive oil. Bake for 45 – 60 minutes, until soft. Scoop out the cooked flesh and add olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

If you want a bit of variety you can add a tablespoon of maple syrup or substitute butter for the olive oil. A firm, tangy cheese like shaved Parmesan or a handful of toasted pecans or walnuts are also great complements to the slightly sweet flavor of squash.

October 5, 2011: Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole Recipe

I guess I missed out when I was growing up in Wisconsin. According to several friends from the Midwest, this recipe is quite common there (where cheese RULES) – but my mom never made it. I had to wait until I was an adult to taste this dish for the first time; I’ve been hooked ever since. Yes, it’s full of fat and calories, but if you’re looking for a comfort food side dish, this one fits the bill.

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

1 package (32 ounces) frozen hash browns, thawed

½ cup finely minced white or yellow onion

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of celery soup

½ cup butter, melted

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or Colby Jack work well)

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

Dash of Tabasco sauce

1 t. garlic salt

½ t. black pepper

This is a really simple recipe – combine all ingredients and put in a greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 – 60 minutes, until bubbly hot.

Tip: You can make this dish in the crock pot; just let it cook for about 2 – 3 hours so that it heats all the way through.

Note: Some people top this casserole with a mixture of crushed cornflakes and melted butter.

October 4, 2011: Apple Bars Recipe

As I mentioned, October is National Apple Month and right now there are lots of varieties available at the grocery store. I’m doing my best to focus on the all the types of food that October is known for (cookies, pasta, desserts, bologna – in addition to apples) so let’s start with a simple recipe sure to please everyone in your family. These bars are a great after school snack or casual get-together fare.

Make sure you use a sweet apple for this recipe - I used gala apples. Since there's no sugar directly on the apple slices, a Granny Smith or other type of tart apple wouldn't work well.

Apple Bars

½ cup butter, softened (or butter flavored Crisco)

½ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

1 ½ cups granola cereal (any variety - your choice)

1 cup flour

½ t. baking powder

¼ t. salt

¾ t. pumpkin pie spice (or equal amounts cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger)

1 large or 2 small apples, peeled, cored and sliced thinly (about 1 ½ cups)

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Mix together dry ingredients and add to butter mixture. Blend just until mixture is crumbly. Reserve one cup.

Press remaining dough into bottom of greased 8 x 8” square pan with your fingers. Top with apple slices. Drop remaining dough by teaspoonfuls evenly across top of the apple slices.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 9 – 12 bars 

Note: it’s easy to double the recipe to feed more people; just use a 13 x 9” pan.