Oven-Baked Kabocha Squash Recipe

One of my favorite ways to cook kabocha squash is to bake it in the oven. It’s a simple way to showcase the creaminess of the squash without overpowering its subtle sweetness.

On its own, this is an easy side dish for poultry or pork. 

Oven-baked kabocha squash can also be a main dish if you fill it with a mixture of wild rice, quinoa, black beans, and herbs after it’s cooked. The squash makes its own little bowl of goodness.

This is a versatile recipe – chose your own seasonings like cumin, or red pepper to give it a spicy kick. You can make the squash a little sweet by sprinkling on some brown sugar and cinnamon. Experiment and see what flavors you like best.

Make sure to keep the seeds! You can rinse and bake them the same way you’d prepare pumpkin seeds.

Ingredients:

• One kabocha squash, halved with seeds removed
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• Salt, pepper, and granulated garlic to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 425F.
• Sprinkle the insides of the squash with salt, pepper and granulated garlic.
• Place squash face up on a cookie sheet.
• Cook squash in oven for about 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, turn your oven up to 450F and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Keep an eye on your squash to make sure it doesn’t get over browned.
• The squash should be fork-tender when done. 
• Add a tablespoon of butter to each half of squash and let it melt before serving.