Mashed Butternut Squash

You can buy pre-peeled and diced butternut squash!  Yes, it's about twice the price per pound of whole squash, but it is SO worth it!  This was one of those things I bought simply to tell the manufacturers to keep making the product.  (A side note: one year, I emailed Dannon that I appreciated them making a KLP yogurt, and they sent me a bunch of coupons, some of them for free stuff.  It never hurts to give a company a compliment.)

Anyway, I decided that mashed butternut would be a good counterpoint to mustard pork chops.  (Same recipe as the regular pork chops, but you smear on a grainy deli mustard before coating in bread crumbs.)  The recipe also goes very well with poultry as an alternative to mashed potatoes.

1 lb butternut squash, diced in 1" pieces
1/4 C butter
1/4 C milk
1 Tb brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger

1.  Place squash in a saucepan and fill with water to cover.  Bring to a boil, then simmer until squash is tender, about 15 minutes.  Drain.

2.  Transfer cooked squash to a mixing bowl.  Beat with electric beaters to break up chunks.  Add remaining ingredients and beat until creamy.  If dry, add a little more milk.  Serve hot.

Difficulty rating  π if you buy pre-cut squash,  :-0 if you cut it yourself