Baked Butternut Squash

Baked butternut Squash, it could be a side dish or it could be added into any dish, for example: butternut squash congee, butternut squash pancake, butternut squash oatmeal or butternut squash mac n cheese. Just be creative, it blends well into almost anything! 

Again, it is one of the most nutritious vegetables that kid must eat, High in Vitamins and Calcium plus it is  smooth and delicious! It is also one of the wonderful baby first solid food, it can be given to baby as young as 4 to 6 months old, I puree a lot of this for Skyler when he was a few months old. 

Nutrition Facts for 1 cup cooked-baked, butternut cubes) 
Univ. of IL - Watch Your Garden

Calories - 79.95
Protein - 1.82 grams
Carbohydrate - 17.94 grams
Dietary Fiber - 5.74 grams
Calcium - 28.7 mg
Iron - 0.67 mg
Potassium - 895.85 mg
Folate - 57.40 mcg
Vitamin A - 1144 IU

Here is how butternut squash looks like for those of you that don't cook :)

a light tan color, elongated pear or bell-shaped. 

I prefer to bake it and froze it up to one month in a small plastic cube, freeze it in small portion so that I can use it in any portion that I like.. one cube , two cube or maybe 3 at a time. Oh, don't forget to date it too.

The best way to cook butternut squash for baby food recipes is to bake or roast the squash. You retain the most nutrients while bringing out the most flavor. Roasting or baking winter squash is also easier because you won't spend forever and a day tying to peel and cube the squash for steaming or boiling. So, if you don't have an oven at home, you probably have to go with steaming it, just need an extra steps of cutting it into smaller cube and peel off the skin.

Cooking instruction:

Wash the butternut squash

Cut into smaller pieces

Scoop out the seeds from the round end of the cut butternut squash ,
I keep this one for too long, already growing bean :)

Lay butternut squash "face" or meat-side down in a baking
dish with about 1-2 inched of water.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 40 minutes or until shell/skin looks
puckery and turns a darker tan.

Scoop the "meat" out with a spoon

Mash it

Below is picture of butternut squash oatmeal for breakfast, while cooking oatmeal, just throw one cube of the frozen butternut squash.

Look at the fiber

Or, you can add the mash butternut Squash into congee, add a lot of flavor to it, a touch of sweetness. 

I cooked this when Skyler is a few months old, chopped everything into
very small pieces, so the mashed butternut squash is definitely the right
ingredient at that time, just blend into the congee