Butternut Squash Fries

My brother’s fiancee, Marie, bought me the Hungry Girl Cookbook for Christmas. Tonight, we decided to try the butternut squash fries with our sloppy joes.

I love a good ol’ fashioned potato. Really, any way you cook and prepare it–baked, mashed, sliced, diced, french fried, au gratin, twice baked, peeled, with skin–whatever their form, potatoes are good eats in my book. So I was skeptical that these butternut squash fries could fill the shoes of my beloved potatoes.

But while these definitely don’t take the place of french fries, they were good. I just don’t think that the effort required to make them is something I’m going to be willing to do on a regular basis. They’re actually not that difficult, but compared to a bag of oven fries picked up in the freezer section, they take a lot more time.

I do encourage you to give them a try, though. Especially if you’re on a diet and are looking to fill a void. :) Because these babies? They are only 125 calories per serving. And a serving size is half of the entire batch! Hell, if you’re REALLY hungry, and you REALLY like them, you could eat the entire batch for a “whopping” 250 calories. That right there is a calorie bargain.

Bake-Tastic Butternut Squash Fries
(Source: Hungry Girl by Lisa Lillien)

Ingredients:
– 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds–large enough to yield 20 ounces of uncooked flesh)
– 1/8 tsp. kosher salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Use a sharp knife to remove the ends of the squash. Cut squash in half widthwide (making it easier to manage), and then peel squash halves using a vegetable peeler or a knife. Cut squash in half lengthwise and then scoop out all seeds.

3. Next, cut squash into french fry shapes. Use a crinkle cutter to make authentic-looking crinkle-cut fries (they’ll taste great any way you slice ’em, though). Using a paper towel, pat squash pieces firmly to absorb any excess moisture.

4. Place squash into a bowl, add a light mist of nonstick spray, and sprinkle with salt. Toss squash to evenly distribute salt and then transfer to a large baking pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Use 2 pans if needed. All squash pieces should lie flat in the pan.

5. Place pan(s) in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or so (longer for thick-cut fries, shorter for skinnier fries), flipping halfway through baking. Fries are done when they are starting to brown on the edges and get crispy.

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

Per Serving (1/2 of recipe): 125 calories, less than 0.5g fat, 158mg sodium, 33g carbs, 3g fiber, 6g sugars, 3g protein