Is this the year you add a new vegetable to your Thanksgiving menu? Consider the butternut squash. Three local chefs recently shared their plans — and their recipes — to include the versatile squash on their Thanksgiving menus.
The traditional family Thanksgiving dinner for Gary Caldwell, executive chef of Marcus Bar & Grille, includes a smoked turkey, sweet potato bread and homemade eggnog. This year it will include butternut squash, as well.
Butternut squash appears on the menu at Marcus Bar & Grille in the oxtails and tamarind collard greens. Throughout the year, the restaurant features a beautifully decorated seasonal cake served from a cart rolled between tables. Caldwell and sous chef Megan Brent decided to make this fall’s cake with butternut squash.
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Credit: Aaliyah Man
At the Kimpton Sylvan Hotel, butternut squash is also making a special appearance. Executive chef Jay Swift will include a savory butternut squash bread pudding on the Thanksgiving menu at the Betty restaurant.
“It’s definitely a riff on bread dressing but with many layers of flavor. The butternut squash says ‘fall’ and while it can be a vegetarian entree, I can absolutely see it as a substitute for someone’s traditional bread dressing.”
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Credit: Aaliyah Man
At Daily Chew, cooler weather means butternut squash soup appears on the seasonal menu. The cafe’s market salad often features butternut squash, an homage to the salads cafe owner Julia Kesler Imerman enjoyed as a child while visiting family in South Africa.
Imerman and Daily Chew’s executive head chef Galdino Pelaez developed the caramelized butternut squash salad recipe Imerman shares with our readers.
“This dish brings together some of our favorite fall flavors: the natural sweetness of butternut squash, the earthiness of sage and the texture of toasted pecans,” Pelaez said.
At Imerman’s Thanksgiving dinner, her 50-plus guests will be enjoying this salad along with mashed white or sweet potatoes — with a bit of extra flavor from a puree of more butternut squash.
Recipes
Three Atlanta chefs offer ways to invite butternut squash to your Thanksgiving table.
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Marcus Bar & Grille’s Butternut Squash Spice Cake with Brown Butter Buttercream
Roast a 1-pound butternut squash and puree the flesh to make the 1¾ cups needed for the recipe. Reserve any remaining puree for another use.
In the photo, the cake is garnished with oatmeal streusel and a drizzle of dulce de leche.
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1¾ cups pureed butternut squash
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup full-fat sour cream
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons pure olive oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Brown Butter Buttercream (see recipe)
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 (9-inch) cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper and spray again.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and ginger until well-combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk pureed butternut squash, eggs, sour cream, oil and vanilla until smooth.
- Using a rubber scraper, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until evenly mixed.
- Divide batter between prepared cake pans. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake layers comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.
- After 10 minutes, run a butter knife around the edge of the cake pans. Turn layers out of pans, remove parchment paper and leave layers on rack to cool completely.
- When ready to decorate, place one layer on serving plate. Spread ⅓ of the Brown Butter Buttercream evenly over the top. Place the second cake on top and spread the remaining Brown Butter Buttercream over the top and sides.
Serves 12.
Per serving: 635 calories (percent of calories from fat, 57), 5 grams protein, 65 grams carbohydrates, 53 grams total sugars, 1 gram fiber, 41 grams total fat (21 grams saturated), 148 milligrams cholesterol, 498 milligrams sodium.
Brown Butter Buttercream
This recipe is Caldwell’s brown butter version of traditional Italian meringue buttercream. “While it takes a little time to make, it can be made ahead as it freezes quite well,” said Caldwell.
- 4 sticks (1 pound) softened unsalted butter, divided
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons egg whites (from 4 to 5 eggs)
- 1¾ cups sugar, divided
- ⅓ cup water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Make brown butter: In a medium skillet, melt 2 sticks butter over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until butter turns golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour melted butter into a heatproof bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed for 2 minutes. With mixer running, slowly add ¼ cup sugar. Keep mixer running on low while preparing sugar syrup.
- Make sugar syrup: In a small saucepan, combine remaining 1½ cups sugar with water and bring to a boil. Insert candy thermometer and cook over medium-high heat until mixture reaches 240 degrees.
- Increase mixer speed to medium and slowly pour the hot sugar syrup in a steady stream down the side of the mixing bowl, avoiding the whisk attachment. Once all the syrup has been added, increase mixer speed to high and continue beating until mixture cools to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Cut remaining 2 sticks butter into small pieces. Turn mixture to low speed and slowly mix in butter pieces. When butter is incorporated, remove the mixing bowl from stand and fold cooled brown butter into the buttercream. Stir in vanilla and salt.
- Use immediately or store for future use. May be frozen up to two months.
Makes 3½ cups.
Per tablespoon: 117 calories (percent of calories from fat, 69), 1 gram protein, 9 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams total sugars, no fiber, 9 grams total fat (6 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 20 milligrams sodium.
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Credit: Aaliyah Man
The Betty’s Savory Butternut Squash Bread Pudding
Although Jay Swift and his chefs will be using brioche for this recipe, he says any “nice buttery bread” can be substituted, including croissants. For the bourbon, he suggests a “good Kentucky bourbon, but don’t break the bank.”
- 1 (2-pound) butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- Black pepper
- 10 cups (1-inch cubed) brioche with crusts
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- 2 cups dried tart cherries (about 8 ounces)
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup grade A dark amber Vermont maple syrup
- 1 cup bourbon
- 5 eggs
- Heat oven to 300 degrees.
- Place squash in a roasting pan cut-side up. Season flesh lightly with salt and pepper.
- Add an inch of water to roasting pan and cover pan with foil. Bake just until squash is tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 25 minutes. Start checking at 15 minutes and be very careful not to overcook.
- While squash cooks, toast brioche: Arrange brioche cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and put into oven with squash. Bake until cubes are toasted and lightly golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
- When squash is tender, remove from oven, uncover, drain off water and allow squash to cool to the touch.
- Remove peel from squash with a paring knife and cut flesh into ¾-inch dice. Transfer diced squash to a large bowl and set aside. Discard peel.
- Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add celery and onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in sage and thyme and remove from heat.
- Raise oven heat to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Add toasted brioche, sauteed celery and onion mixture and dried cherries to bowl of butternut squash.
- In a large bowl whisk together milk, maple syrup, bourbon, eggs and remaining 2 tablespoons salt. Pour over squash and brioche mixture and use a rubber scraper to mix, making sure all brioche cubes are coated.
- Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Bake until pudding is just barely firm when pressed in the middle and top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.
Serves 8.
Per serving: 603 calories (percent of calories from fat, 16), 13 grams protein, 102 grams carbohydrates, 63 grams total sugars, 5 grams fiber, 9 grams total fat (4 grams saturated), 129 milligrams cholesterol, 1,926 milligrams sodium.
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Daily Chew’s Caramelized Butternut Salad with Za’atar Goat Cheese, Sage and Toasted Pecans
Toast pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes or until the pecans are fragrant.
To make the candied pecans, Imerman tosses whole nuts in melted unsalted butter and maple syrup, adds a pinch of salt and bakes them at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the maple syrup has crystalized. This salad recipe calls for only a tablespoon of candied pecans, but you’ll want to make more to serve as a pre-Thanksgiving snack or with a cheese board.
- 1 (1½-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into 1-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon pure olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon grade A maple syrup or light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 6 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
- 4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon za’atar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped toasted pecans (see note)
- 1 tablespoon chopped candied or sweet pecans (see note)
- Flaky sea salt
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, toss butternut squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil, butter, maple syrup, thyme, sage, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Spread evenly on prepared baking sheet. Roast 30 to 35 minutes, stirring once, until squash is golden and caramelized.
- While squash roasts, prepare za’atar goat cheese: In a small bowl, stir together goat cheese, za’atar, honey, lemon zest and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cover bowl and refrigerate.
- In a medium bowl, toss together arugula, lemon juice and remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper.
- When squash is ready, spread za’atar goat cheese on serving platter. Top with caramelized squash and arugula. Sprinkle with toasted pecans, candied pecans and flaky sea salt.
Serves 4.
Per serving: 389 calories (percent of calories from fat, 64), 9 grams protein, 28 grams carbohydrates, 10 grams total sugars, 5 grams fiber, 29 grams total fat (10 grams saturated), 30 milligrams cholesterol, 785 milligrams sodium.
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