Twice-Baked Butternut Squash

A few years ago I got caught up in an email chain-letter of recipes. I got several gems, and here's one of them:

Twice-baked Butternut Squash

1 large butternut squash
Olive Oil
5 Tablespoons of butter
One sweet onion or two shallots
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Bread crumbs
Parsley

Preheat the oven to 350 and cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds and stingy part. This can be difficult -- I recommend a large, sturdy knife. Place cut-side down on an oiled, foiled cookie sheet.

Stick it in the oven for half an hour. After half an hour has passed, sauté your garlic and onion/shallots in olive oil and a tablespoon of butter.

When the total cooking time for the squash has reached 45 minutes, remove the squashes from the oven and flip them over (I recommend the glove kind of pot holder). Pour the garlic/onion/butter yumminess into the  softened hollow of the squash and add a 2 tablespoons of butter to each half.

Mix it up with a thin metal spoon or fork. Coat with bread crumbs if desired. Garnish with parsley (not pictured.)

Return to the oven for a final 15 minutes. Serve warm. Happy fall!