Creamy Baked Acorn Squash

It's my favorite time of year, squash season!!  I love the creamy warmth of slow roasted squash!  Butternut, acorn, Hubbard, you name the squash and I'm all in! I usually fix acorn squash with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar.  I made Beer Can Chicken last night and was thinking mashed potatoes, but we are trying to watch the white starch so I looked for a good substitute and found this super simple Martha Stewart recipe online.  I changed out the cream in the recipe for coconut milk so it is great for people who are dairy intolerant!  

I also roasted my squash low and slow with the bird and then turned it up at the end to melt the cheese. If you are dairy intolerant, you can switch the cheese for a vegan non-dairy choice.  During the last 30 minutes, I also added some carrots that had been tossed in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.  Yum!!

Creamy Baked Acorn Squash:

Ingredients:

2 acorn squash, split in half w/seeds removed

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

8 sprigs thyme

1 can coconut milk

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250*F.  Level the bottoms of the squash halves so they sit nicely in a baking dish.  Season the squash with salt and pepper to taste.  Divide coconut milk evenly between the squash pieces.  Place 2 sprigs of thyme in each squash shell.  Bake for 2 hours uncovered.  

After 2 hours, tuen up the heat to 350*F.  Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over the squash and bake for an additional 30 minutes uncovered.  Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Sunday Breakfast: Monte Cristo Bake

This morning, Sean & the boys are off to sell Scout popcorn at the local supermarket. I wanted them to have a good breakfast before standing outside for 2 hours! I didn't have bacon or sausage on hand, but I did have 8 oz of diced ham.  Instead of the usual ham and  egg casserole, I thought about Monte Cristo sandwiches.  Who doesn't like a fried sandwich?  Our doctor, that's who ;-) In all seriousness, we are on a continuous journey to improve our eating habits while still enjoying the tastes we know and love!  Soooo, I opted to bake the sandwiches in a cast iron skillet.  I also used sourdough bread which although it isn't GF, it is easier on your system because the fermentation of the yeast helps break down the gluten.  This was a super simple recipe that took less than an hour from start to finish!

Monte Cristo Bake:

Serves 6

6 eggs

1/3 cup cream

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

8 oz diced ham

2/3 cup sour cream

3 tbsp Dijon mustard

3 slices cheese (I used white American)

12 slices sourdough bread

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375*F.  Lay 6 slices of bread in the bottom of an oven proof skillet. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, salt & pepper.  In a separate bowl mix the sour cream and Dijon mustard together and then toss in the diced ham.  Pour half the egg mixture over the bread in the skillet,

Then layer the ham mixture over the egg soaked slices. Place half a cheese slice over each sandwhich and top with another piece of bread. Finally, pour the remaining egg mixture over all.

Pop into the oven to bake for 30 minutes on the middle rack.  For the last 5 minutes, move the skillet to the top rack to get a nice golden brown toast on the bread.  Remove from the oven and let stand for 3-5 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Lastly, remember to buy some Scout popcorn!