Recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple

When I was first learning to cook, I had three church cookbooks, a 3x5 box for recipes clipped from newspapers and, over time, a stack of Pillsbury cookbooks, the ones from the grocery store check-out lane.

Then, as my cooking style veered toward ‘whole’ and ‘real’ ingredients, the Pillsbury-product heavy recipes no longer appealed. So I hadn’t bought a Pillsbury cookbook in years until somehow, last year’s November issue grabbed my attention. And hey! it was a nice little recipe book, with short and seasonal recipes, good pictures, a focus on eating healthfully – all in all, my kind of recipe inspiration! If you find yourself with an extra minute waiting in a grocery line, you might scan the current issue, just to see.

This squash and apple dish is the first recipe from the Pillsbury cookbook. And honestly, it caught me by surprise – the layers of flavor are just so good, that brightness of cinnamon, that smokiness of curry, the familiar bites of winter squash and apple.

It would be a hit, I think, at Thanksgiving, especially in a buffet since it’s good served both hot and at room temperature. Later, I’d serve it with ham, perhaps pork, perhaps lamb. It has a festive feel that makes it perfect for holiday tables but a Saturday night supper, too.

HOW TO CUT, PEEL & CUBE A BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND KEEP ALL TEN FINGERS — Consider this a public service announcement for it turns out, I'm not alone in approaching a butternut squash with wary eyes. They're dense and unwieldy, perhaps better left alone. No more. Just this week I posted a step-by-step photo guide to cutting up a butternut squash at A Veggie Venture. Learning the right technique is a revelation, I've been squash-crazy ever since learning, finally, how to tackle one of these guys.

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. In 2009, Kitchen Parade celebrates its 50th anniversary with a special collection of my mother's recipes. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. Become a Kitchen Parade fan on Facebook!