Mashed Butternut Squash

A few weeks ago I made a variation of Greek mousaka using butternut squash instead of the traditional eggplant. I only used half of a butternut squash for the recipe, and wrapped the other half in plastic and placed it in the freezer to use later for some distant, unknown recipe. Well, my freezer has been pretty packed lately and that butternut squash was taking up quite a bit of space, so I took it out to thaw and began brainstorming about what to make with it. I've been craving mashed potatoes like crazy lately, but I'm also trying to stay away from empty, nutrient-less starches like potatoes, so I decided to try mashing up the butternut squash with some spices and butter and sour cream. I also added garlic, both fresh and powdered, since it goes surprisingly well with butternut squash. Butternut squash is a bit stringy in texture, even after you roast it, so after I mashed it by hand with my potato masher I then put it in my food processor to give it that really smooth and fluffy texture that's such a staple of good mashed potatoes. I wasn't quite sure how it would turn out, but when I tasted it all of my squash-related anxieties were put to rest. The sage, butter, garlic and  squash  went together wonderfully, and the sour cream really helped to give it that nice and fluffy texture. Definitely a tasty and healthy alternative to mashed potatoes. Makes about 3 Cups of mashed butternut squash.

Ingredients:

1/2 of a Butternut Squash

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1/3 Cup Fat Free Sour Cream

3 Tablespoons Butter

3/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Sage

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the butternut squash on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the squash is soft when poked with a fork but hasn't quite started to brown on the outside yet.

Remove the squash from the oven and scoop out the squash using an ice cream scooper. Place the squash flesh into a bowl and discard the empty skin once you have successfully carved all the squash from it.

Add the butter to the squash and mix with a potato masher until the butter has melted. Add the rest of the ingredients and continue mashing with the potato masher until the ingredients are completely combined. Scoop the mixture into a food processor and blend it until it becomes
fluffy and smooth. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately.