Baked Risotto with Chicken Thighs & Winter Squash

I have one more butternut squash recipe to share. This creamy and hearty one-pot dish was an absolute crowd-pleaser. I used butternut squash, but this dish could also be prepared using Kabocha or acorn squash instead.

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living’s Everyday Food. I used butternut squash instead of Kabocha, substituted boneless, skinless chicken thighs for bone-in, used thyme instead of oregano, and increased the amount of garlic. I served the dish with roasted cauliflower.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

• 3-4 T vegetable oil, divided
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large white onion, diced medium
• 4 cups of large chunks (about 1 1/4 pounds) butternut, Kabocha, or acorn squash
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 6 sprigs of thyme or oregano
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 3 1/2 cups chicken stock

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, preferably on convection.
2. In a large heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. (I used an enameled cast iron pan.)
3. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
4. In batches, cook chicken, “skin side” down, until deep golden and fat is rendered, 6 to 7 minutes. Flip and cook 1 minute more. Transfer chicken to a plate.
5. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining tablespoon oil, if needed, to pot. (I didn’t add additional oil and used the chicken drippings in the pot instead.)
6. Add onion and squash and cook until onion is translucent, 8 minutes.
7. Add garlic and thyme/oregano and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
8. Add rice and cook, stirring, until opaque, 1 to 2 minutes.
9. Add wine and cook, stirring, until completely evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
10. Add broth, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; stir to incorporate. Then return the chicken to the pot, “skin side up.”
11. Bring to a boil; cover, transfer to oven, and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 25 minutes.
12. Let sit, covered, 10 minutes. Serve.

Acorn Squash Saltimbocca with Browned Butter Sauce

I almost exclusively roast the acorn squash that I receive in my CSA box. It’s a gold-standard crowd-pleaser. 🙂

After making and absolutely loving both a classic and a summer version of chicken saltimbocca, I was excited to try this unique acorn squash version. Unlike the chicken versions, the squash is roasted instead of fried. After roasting, the skin was tender and completely edible. The browned butter sauce made it amazing- especially because it incorporated sherry vinegar.

This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Ann Taylor Pittman. I reduced the amount of browned butter (and there was plenty!). I served it with roasted CSA beets, kohlrabi and potatoes along with a green salad. It was a sweet and buttery CSA feast.

I served it as a main dish but it could also be served as a seasonal side.

Yield: Serves 2 to 4 as a main dish

• 1 large (1 1/2-pound) acorn squash
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt, plus a pinch more for the sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 16 to 18 medium-size fresh sage leaves, divided
• 8 very thin prosciutto slices, halved lengthwise with ends left intact
• 4 T (1/4 cup, 2 ounces) unsalted butter
• 1/2 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey, for drizzling, optional (I omitted it)

1. Preheat oven to 425°F, preferably on convection roast.
2. Cut squash in half lengthwise; scoop out and discard seeds and membranes. Cut each half into 4 wedges.
3. Toss together squash wedges, oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
4. Arrange wedges, cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Roast in preheated oven 20 minutes, turning once halfway through. Let cool 5 minutes.
6. Arrange 1 whole sage leaf on rounded flesh side of each squash wedge; wrap 1 prosciutto strip around each squash wedge.
7. Arrange squash wedges on pan, skin sides down. Roast in preheated oven until prosciutto is crisp and squash is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet over medium-high, stirring often with a wooden spoon, just until milk solids begin to sink to bottom of skillet and brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
9. Add 8 to 10 sage leaves; cook, stirring constantly, just until sage stops sizzling. Remove from heat, and let stand 1 minute.
10. Carefully stir in sherry vinegar and remaining pinch of coarse salt.
11. Transfer squash to a warm serving platter, and spoon browned butter sauce over squash. Drizzle with honey, if desired. (I omitted it.) Serve immediately.

Chipotle-Rubbed Chicken Sheet-Pan Dinner with Roasted Salsa Verde & Acorn Squash

I am such a sauce person! This roasted tomatillo and garlic sauce was absolutely incredible. The acorn squash is roasted on the sheet pan with the chicken and sauce ingredients, absorbing all of the flavors too. It would be a wonderful dish to serve as part of a Cinco de Mayo celebration. In fact, I might make it again on Cinco de Mayo! 🙂

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appetit, contributed by Claire Saffitz. I used boneless, skinless thighs instead of bone-in, and adjusted the method and roasting times accordingly.

I’m bringing this delicious dish to share at Angie’s Fiesta Friday #221 this week, hosted by Jenny @ Dragonfly Home Recipes. Enjoy!

Yield: Serves 4 to 5

• 12 oz tomatillos (about 6 medium)
• 8 garlic cloves
• 4 scallions
• 1 jalapeño
• 6 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• coarse salt
• 10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 3 lbs), trimmed
• 2 T adobo sauce, from 1 can chipotles in adobo
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp ground cumin, divided
• 1 medium acorn squash
• ½ bunch cilantro, divided
• lime wedges, for serving
• brown Basmati rice, for serving

1. Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 425°, preferably on convection roast.
2. Start by assembling all the ingredients for the salsa: Remove husks from the tomatillos and rinse. Cut any larger ones in half and arrange on a baking sheet.
3. Smash the garlic cloves with the flat side of your knife and remove skins. Add to baking sheet with tomatillos.
4. Trim ends of scallions and discard, then cut scallions crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Add to baking sheet.
5. Cut the jalapeño in half lengthwise, pull out stem and ribs, and place on baking sheet. Wash hands!
6. Drizzle 2 T oil over vegetables; season with salt. Toss with hands to coat, then push vegetables to one side of baking sheet so they’re taking up about one-third of sheet; set aside.
7. Cut the acorn squash in half and scoop out seeds with spoon. Cut each half in quarters again to make 8 equal wedges.
8. Arrange squash on baking sheet on the opposite side of the baking sheet from the tomatillos (leaving room in the center for the chicken). (I placed each slice on its side so that it could absorb more pan drippings.)
9. Drizzle squash with 2 T oil. Season with salt and sprinkle with remaining ½ tsp cumin.
10. Place baking sheet with tomatillo mixture and acorn squash in the preheated oven for 12 minutes while you prepare the chicken.
11. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season all over with salt.
12. Whisk 2 T adobo sauce (from 1 can chipotles in adobo), 1 tsp honey, ½ tsp cumin, and 2 T oil in a large bowl until smooth.
13. Add chicken to bowl and toss with tongs until coated.
14. After the vegetables have par-baked for 12 minutes, arrange chicken, using tongs, in the center of the baking sheet.
15. Roast until chicken thighs are browned on top and meat is cooked through (165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), tomatillos are lightly charred on top, and squash is fork-tender about 20 additional minutes.
16. Let cool slightly. While chicken is cooling, pick about ½ cup cilantro leaves from bunch, reserving stems, and set aside for serving.
17. Transfer chicken and squash to a platter.
18. Tip all remaining ingredients, along with ½ cup of pan juices, into a blender. (I used a Vitamix.) Add cilantro, stems and all; season with a bit more salt. Blend, thinning with more pan juices if needed, until smooth and pourable.
19. Spoon salsa over platter and top with reserved cilantro leaves.
20. Serve with brown Basmati rice and lime wedges alongside.

One Year Ago: Roasted Chicken Thighs over Herbed Pea & Spinach Puree

Two Years Ago: North African Meatballs

Four Years Ago:

• Creamy Poblano & Ancho Chicken Tacos: Mix & Match Fillings
• Rick Bayless’ Red Mole Enchiladas with Shredded Chicken

Five Years Ago:

• No-Bake Vegetarian Enchiladas with Smoky Tomatillo Salsa
• Creamy Chicken & Greens with Roasted Poblano Tacos
• Tacos with Tangy Cilantro Chicken
• Rick Bayless’ Swiss Chard Tacos with Caramelized Onion, Fresh Cheese, & Red Chile

Roasted Squash with Cherry Tomatoes & Eggs

Similar to my last post, this is another lovely breakfast, lunch, or dinner dish. A nice vegetarian meal! I (almost) always make roasted acorn squash with maple syrup, so this was also a nice change of pace. The chile paste made it amazing.

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living. I used my CSA acorn squash and festival sweet dumpling squash and added roasted potatoes. We ate it for dinner with a green salad on the side.

I’m sharing this dish at Angie’s Fiesta Friday #139, co-hosted by Antonia @ Zoale and Sandhya @ Indfused. Enjoy!

• 2 small acorn squashes (up to 1 1/2 pounds each)
• 2-3 T extra-virgin olive oil
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus 6 sprigs
• 2 cups (12 oz) mixed cherry tomatoes
• 2 tsp sambal oelek (or other chile paste), plus more for serving
• 4 large eggs
• 1 pound fingerling potatoes, halved crosswise

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, preferably set to convection roast, with racks in the center, upper, and lower thirds of the oven.
2. Line 3 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Toss potatoes with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. Rub squashes all over with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Prick inside surface all over with a fork. Season with salt and thyme leaves.
5. Place squash cut side down over thyme sprigs on a prepared baking sheet. Place on upper rack of oven and roast for 10 minutes.
6. Along with the squash, add potatoes to oven on the lower rack. Roast for 10 minutes as well.
7. Meanwhile, toss the tomatoes in the remaining tablespoon of oil; season with salt and pepper. Spread on the third baking sheet in a single layer.
8. After the initial 10 minutes of roasting is complete, add the tomatoes to the oven on the center oven rack and roast about 20 to 25 minutes more, or until tomatoes are beginning to collapse. The squash should be tender and the cut surface of the potatoes lightly brown.
9. Remove tomatoes and potatoes from the oven. Set aside, in a warming drawer, if possible.
10. Turn the squashes cut side up and roast 5 minutes more.
11. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon chile paste into each hollow, then crack an egg into each. Season with salt.
12. Return to oven and bake until whites are set but still a bit wobbly and yolks are soft, about 10 minutes.
13. Let stand for 3 minutes. Then, serve garnished with roasted tomatoes, more chile paste, salt and pepper with roasted potatoes on the side.

One Year Ago:

• Lobster & Corn Chowder
• Clams Casino #2

Two Years Ago:

• Baked Greek Shrimp with Tomatoes & Feta

Three Years Ago:

• Eggplant & Wild Mushroom “Meatballs” in Tomato Sauce
• Cornmeal Summer Berry Muffins with Streusel Topping

Winter Squash Casserole

When we lived in Charleston, South Carolina, summer squash casserole was served as a staple side dish. This is a winter version from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook by Matt & Ted Lee. We ate it as a vegetarian entree with sautéed broccoli rabe (with garlic and red pepper flakes) on the side. The sweet, cheesy casserole had a nice balance with the salty, bitter greens. The cookbook authors suggest adding 1 pound of cut, seared, hot Italian sausage (with 2 1/2 pounds of squash) in step 3 to turn this dish into an entree.

• 3 1/2 pounds winter squash, such as butternut, kabocha, or acorn, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch slices (about 6 cups)
• 5 T unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
• 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large yellow onions, trimmed, peeled, and chopped (about 3 cups)
• 1 cup whole or low-fat buttermilk
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs, preferably homemade, toasted
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds or pecans, toasted
• 2 cups coarsely grated cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish or a 4-quart casserole.
2. Place 3 quarts water in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the squash to the water, return to a boil, and cook for 6 minutes. The squash will turn a deeper orange. Drain it and set it aside.
3. Melt the butter in the stockpot and add the oil. Add the onions and sauté over medium-low heat until translucent and limp, about 8 minutes, stirring to prevent browning. Add the warm squash and the buttermilk, eggs, thyme, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, 1/8 cup pumpkin seeds, and 1 1/3 cups cheese. Blend with a wooden spoon or spatula until the ingredients are well combined.
4. Spread the mixture evenly in the baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the remaining 1/8 cup pumpkin seeds and 2/3 cup cheese over the casserole. Bake for 15 minutes more, or until the pumpkin seeds have turned chestnut brown and the cheese is bubbling and gently browning.
5. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Roasted Acorn Squash

This is my gold standard acorn squash recipe.  I love it.  I could eat it alone as a meal with salad!  I make it every time I get an acorn squash in my CSA box.

• 2 acorn squash, halved lengthwise or crosswise, seeded, and bottoms trimmed to lie flat if necessary
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 T unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• fresh thyme

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, preferably on convection roast. Prick the entire cut surface of the squash with a fork.  Season with salt and pepper.
2. Place 2 T maple syrup and 1/2 T butter in the cavity of each squash.  Sprinkle fresh thyme over the top.
3. Roast 40-50 minutes, basting occasionally, until the top is brown and the flesh is soft.
4. Garnish with fresh thyme, if desired. Serve.

Creamy Baked Acorn Squash

This acorn squash recipe is a deviation from my gold standard roasted acorn squash with maple syrup.

I saw the recipe in Everyday Food, had leftover cream, and decided that I had to try it.  It was a delicious way to prepare savory squash. I have made it with sage substituted for the thyme, as well as with thyme. I also modified the proportions and the roasting temperature.

It is a great side dish because the rest of the meal can be prepared while it is roasting in the oven.

• acorn squash (1 pound each), halved lengthwise, seeded, and bottoms trimmed to lie flat if necessary
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 to 2 T heavy cream per half acorn squash
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 2 sage leaves per half
• 1 generous T grated Parmesan per half

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, preferably on convection roast.
2. Prick cut side of squash all over with a fork. Place squash halves cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.
3. Place cream and thyme inside squash cavities.
4. Bake until squash is tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 30 to 35 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake until cheese is melted and golden, 5 to 10 minutes more.
6. Garnish with additional herbs, cheese, and seasonings as desired. Serve.