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Low Carb Roasted Acorn Squash
It is that time of year when you see winter squashes in the big cardboard containers at the front of the grocery store. My favorite is the one with the hard ribs and if you drop it, it will just bounce because it is so hard!
I am talking about Acorn Squashes! Its deep green color streaked with orange and tear drop shape make it unmistakably the companion to pumpkins every year!
It has all of the fall flavors with the robust bite and buttery flesh. It has quickly become my new favorite next to other squash bakes!
Since most squashes are known to have a lot of carbs, most people stay away from them.
This squash in particular has the least amount of carbs out of them all!
Honestly, I never grew up eating this squash. My first experience was when a friend of mine had it at our Thanksgiving holiday meal last year.
Its yellow flesh was interestingly roasted with a caramelly sweet flavor and rich starchy bite. It made a great side dish to accompany the main meal.
Out of all of the squash recipes you can enjoy this very budget friendly food in, roasted acorn squash is by far my favorite!
Even though it is a squash, it still can fit into my low carb diet! You will love this great recipe and find that it fits into your meal plans since it is easy to warm up after preparing!
I will share with you one of my favorite recipes featuring this sweet squash that you will make each year!
Roasting vegetables is one of my favorite ways to prepare them as it brings out a great flavor that other cooking methods don’t!
First you need to know how to cut this very odd squash so you can peel and cut it. I remember the first time I tried to cut one up.
It was frustrating to say the least, so I finally found out how to easily cut one to remove the intimidation this hard squash presented to me!
This is the hardest part, but I will walk you through it! You will be a pro in no time!
Scroll a bit to check out my video where I show you how to cut the acorn squash!
You will need a cutting board, very sharp knife, and a vegetable peeler. Start out by cutting the ends off of the squash so you have a stable base to work with.
Now place it flat on one end on your cutting board and cut into two squash halves. Now that it is halved, use a spoon to dig out the inside of the squash.
Make sure to dig out all of the stringy part before proceeding.
Now with the insides removed, place the squash cut side down on your cutting board. Very carefully cut in between each rib to make half moon slices.
Then you are able to peel the skin very easily now as you swipe the peeler from one end to the other!
Check out this quick video where I show you the steps in action!
Now that your squash is cut and peeled, its time to get it ready to roast!
Cut the peeled squash half moons into 1 inch pieces and add all to a large mixing bowl.
Preheat your oven to 475F and prepare your baking sheet by lining with parchment paper.
To the bowl of cut squash add in 2 tablespoons of olive oil or avocado oil. Toss well with two spoons or simply stir it up.
Now add in 1 teaspoon of ground rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder, and a little salt and pepper. Toss it all very well so it distributes the spices to all of the pieces.
Now spread out in an even layer onto your prepared pan.
The roasting process will take 20 minutes total time.
Put your sheet pan in the oven for 10 minutes. Then stir up the acorn squash and put back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
It should be soft when pricked with a fork. If you turn the pieces over, you will see how they have caramelized on the bottom.
This is my favorite part of roasting, the caramelizing as the squash cooks!
Let them sit only a couple of minutes before serving immediately. If you make them ahead of time, reheat in the oven for best results.
- The roasted cubes are great paired with dried cranberries and keto maple syrup as a unique side dish!
- Each 1 cup serving has 12g net carbs and more potassium than 2 bananas!
- When you incorporate this sweet squash into your low-carb diet, you are getting a ton of needed nutrients to provide your body with what it needs going into the winter season!
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container up to 5 days. Simply reheat in a 350F oven for 10 minutes.
- Jazz up this roasted acorn squash side dish by adding parmesan cheese on top for the last 10 minutes of cook time.
- You can add your pre-roasted acorn squash cubes to a large skillet with browned pork sausage and cover with 6 beaten eggs for a quick breakfast fritatta!
Low Carb Roasted Acorn Squash
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475F
- Line a 9×13 pan with sides, a.k.a. jelly roll pan, with parchment paper.
- Peel and cut up acorn squash into 1 inch cubes.
- Put all in a large bowl and drizzle with oil.
- Toss or stir up well.
- Sprinkle on the rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Toss or stir in bowl well to distribute spices.
- Spread out onto pan and bake for 10 minutes.
- Stir and flip pieces.
- Bake 10 minutes more until fork tender.
- Keep up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Can double recipe for potlucks without changing anything.
Notes
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