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.