Super Freakin’ Easy Winter Squash
EDIT: So I thought this posted like, a week ago, until @lustyloveylady asked me for this and I finally got on here and realized that I had drafted and not posted it. Sorry!
Equipment
Crock Pot/Slow Cooker
Large Knife
Bowl
Large Spoon
Ingredients
Hard Rind Squash, like spagetti, acorn, or butternut
Seasonings of your choice
Method Guys, guys, you don't even know. This is the EASIEST THING EVER. Literally, 3 steps, but I'll break it into more because it's so unbelievable how easy it is, that I want to make sure you understand you're not missing anything.
Buy a hard rind squash. Now, I say hard rind, I mean hard rind like an acorn squash or a butternut squash a pumpkin, or any other hard squash.
Remove any produce stickers and give your squash a rinse.
Place whole squash in your crock pot. Yep, just like that. No cutting, no pricking, no oiling, no anything. Just take clean squash and chuck it in the crock.**
Put your crock pot on low and cook for 4-6 hours. You can also speed it up by putting it on high for 2-3 hours. Here's the thing, you need to know your crock pot. Mine is a little hot, so it's usually done in about 4 hours on low. BUT(!!!) here's the awesome thing: it won't hurt it to go longer! I got caught up at school one day and a spaghetti squash wound up in the pot on low for 8+ hours! It was perfectly fine and delicious!
Squash is done when you can easily prick the rind with a normal fork. There may be some resistance, it shouldn't just slide in like butter, but it should be obviously soft.
Carefully remove from crock and place in a bowl to cool for at least 10 minutes on the counter or up to 2 days in the fridge. Yeah, no, it's seriously that chill. You can eat it that night or let it hang out in the fridge for a couple days before dealing with it.
When cool, cut the squash in half and scoop the seeds out. They will come out super easily. Toss them or save them to roast! You won't be able to sprout them, as they've been cooked.
You can eat the squash out of the rind if you like, but if you're going to save it for eating later, remove it from the rind and put it in a storage container.*
Season it with whatever fat and seasonings you like! Spaghetti squash with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Acorn with brown sugar and butter. Pumpkin with curry powder and a splash of coconut milk before throwing it in a blender for a quick and easy soup! So many options without having to fight cutting and baking and all of that!
EDIT to add pics:
Step 1:
Step 2:
PROFIT!!
*You can also freeze the squash once it's removed for later use. **You can cut the squash before baking, just be aware it will shorten the cooking time, sometimes drastically. I had to cut an inch off the top of a butternut squash so it would fit, it took my cooking time down to 2 hours on low.
