Easy squash side dish ideas?

Question

Help! My husband asked if he got a squash if I would cook it...so I said yes thinking it would be easy to make a side dish with it...but I am having no luck! Anyone have a great way of cooking squash without buying a ton of stuff for it and without making it into the meal itself?? Just want something easy to suprise him with when he gets home! HELP!

YELLOW SQUASH

Answer 1

If you mean butternut or acorn squash, here's how I make it....

I take a butcher knife and carefully cut it in half and seed it with a spoon. Then I peel it (using the butcher knife CAREFULLY...don't want to slip and cut a finger!)....or some vegetable peelers can do the job.

I cut the aquash in small (one inch or so) cubes and toss them in my steamer (I use a steamer basket in a pot with about one inch of water). I steam them for about 20-25 minutes....they need to be soft....check that they are easy to pierce with a fork or knife.

Then I mash them like potatoes. You can add a little cream and butter and a sprinkle of salt. Or you can add a little maple syrup. Or you can add butter and brown sugar. It depends if you want it sweet or savory.

Very nice side dish! Healthy too.

If you don't want to peel & cut in cubes, just slice the squash in half and seed it. Then lay them face up on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees until soft (30-45 minutes). Make sure you can pierce with a knife or fork easily. Then add butter, brown sugar &/or maple syrup. Yum Yum.

If it's Summer Squash, just slice it up into rounds and steam them for about 15-20 minutes (or soft enough to eat) and toss with butter & salt & pepper (to taste).

Answer 2

Baked Squash Gratin
1 (3-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup purchased basil pesto
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, plus more for greasing
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly butter an 8-inch baking dish and set aside. Fill a large pot with enough water to come 2 inches up the sides of the pot. Set a steamer rack in the pot, cover, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the squash and steam over medium heat until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer the squash to a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Season the squash to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon half of the squash evenly over the prepared baking dish. Dollop half of the pesto all over the squash in the dish. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the squash. Repeat layering with the remaining squash, pesto, and cheese. Using a skewer, swirl the pesto decoratively into the squash. Dot the top with butter and bake until the gratin is heated through and golden brown around the edges, about 40 minutes.

ENJOY!!!

Answer 3

Squash, like a lot of mildly flavored vegetables, is pretty easy to work with, and can be adapted to fit the meal.

Like pumpkin, squash can work as a sweet dish, very easily done by peeling and cubing, then cooking with a glaze. Try sauteeing, and glazing with maple syrup and apple juice for a sweet side, or beef or chicken stock with a bit of maple for something both savory and sweet. You can also use a salad dressing such as Italian or a vinaigrette.

There are a lot of ways to spice squash, but the basics used for pumpkin will obviously serve well - cinamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves or allspice.

Answer 4

I LOVE grilled squash----anykind as long as it is still firm, not mushy

Clean the squash
Slice into 1/2-1 inch slices
Pour a bit of olive oil into a cookie sheet
Put slices onto cookie sheet, turning so that both sides are oiled
Sprinkle with sea or kosher salt and course ground pepper.
Place on hot grill --first side about 5 minutes, second side only till grill marks appear.
Serve immediately with grilled meat.
OR
Cut into 1-2 inch chunks and stir fry with onions, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and garlic. Serve with saffron rice.
Below are two links that I have found great recipes at.
Good luck,
Cee

Answer 5

Depends on the squash. If it's a butternut squash, cut it into sections, mix olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper together and spread onto squash. Bake at 400 degrees until tender.

Answer 6

i love squash!
I have taken summer squash and zucchini and sliced in spears added butter salt and pepper and wrapped in foil and grilled.
Acorn squash i have split in half placed into a pan added butter and cinnamon or maple syrup added water about an inch covered and baked on 350 for an hour.when done scrape all of the insides out of the shell and whip this is delicious. Good luck!

Answer 7

Get some tomatoes, onions and tomato sauce. garlic salt and pepper EVOO and parmesano cheese.
Cut the Yellow squash, Tomatoes, slice the Onions and sautee them all in EVOO and add the spices. Cook until the squash is tender and then plate sprinle cheese on top and enjoy.

Answer 8

Pan fry with olive oil, garlic, and pine nuts. Add some water to get a steaming effect (if you don't want the squash to look brown). This will take about 5 minutes.

Answer 9

peel and cut up your squash in chunks. then heat up some oil, add in a lot of minced garlic and saute until fragrant. then add in sliced onions and cook until translucent. season with salt & pepper. then add in your squash chunks, and very little water. then add in a little soy sauce & cook until tender. (feel free to add water if the h2o dries up bfore the squash is tender)

Answer 10

cut it up into big chunks and saute it with a can of diced stewed tomatoes, a big blob of butter, and some garlic salt, you can dump in some sliced mushrooms too, if you have them.