Deo Gratias: Butternut Squash

I love me some butternut squash. It looks and tastes delicious in its natural state - cooked, of course, but with nothing added. And it's so easy to make!

Here are a couple of squash I've had sitting on my counter for a couple of weeks. They keep amazingly well! I use the big knife to slice them down the middle. Then I scrape out the seeds and stringy flesh with a spoon.

I lay the halves face up in a glass baking dish (some recipes say lay them face down - it probably doesn't matter). Then I put about a half inch of water in the bottom of the dish and cover (with either a lid or tin foil, depending which dish I use).

I set the oven to 350 or 400 degrees and let the squash steam itself for an hour or so - more if the halves are very thick. You can see the spoon marks where I tested doneness - the spoon should meet no resistance.

Finally, I scoop the flesh right into bowls to enjoy all week. Sometimes I sprinkle a little cinnamon or cinnamon/sugar on top, but it's not really necessary.

Do you like butternut squash? How do you serve it?