Shelly's Recipe

BAKED SPICED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH APPLES AND MAPLE SYRUP

Category: Squash

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp Salt
3 small butternut squashes, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, cut crosswise into 1/3" thick slices
4 6-oz. Granny Smith apples peeled, halved, cored, cut into 1/4" thick slices

Preheat oven to 400. Butter 13x9 inch glass baking dish. Stir butter, maple syrup and apple juice in small saucepan over medium-low heat until butter melts. Increase heat and boil until mixture is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in cinnamon, allspice, and salt.

Arrange 1/3 squash slices in prepared dish. Top with half of apple slices, then 1/3 of squash slices. Arrange remaining slices of squash and apple on top, alternating squash and apple and overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour maple syrup mixture over. Cover baking dish tightly with foil.

Bake until squash is almost tender, about 50 minutes. Uncover and bake until squash is tender, basting occasionally with syrup, about 20 minutes longer. Spoon syrup from dish over veggies and serve.

NOTE: Can be made a day ahead. Rewarm in 350 degree oven, covered, about 30 minutes, or microwave on high about 8 minutes.