Bangers & Mash, Albion-style
Here's something we came up with to use up some buttercup squash that wasn't keeping too well (left it out too long and it got frost-damaged).
Cut a large buttercup squash in half, place cut-side-down in roasting pan with a little water, and roast at 375 for 45 minutes or until it's done. Let cool, then scoop out the meat. Scrub or peel two large parsnips and microwave on high for 5 minutes until soft. Mash together parsnips and squash, adding a little water and about 2 or 3 tablespoons butter; also add a dash of salt and a dash of nutmeg. Fry 1 lb of hot Italian sausage (removed from casing and coarsley chopped), then add sausage and pan drippings to mash. Mix well and serve with fresh ground pepper.
The spicy sausage provides a good counterpoint to the sweet squash. The parsnips don't really come through very well, but I have a lot of them to use up... This will make about 4 small meals, or several side-dish servings. You can (as I did) roast several squashes at once, scoop them out and set aside for several quick meals during the week. Once you have the squash meat ready, the rest of the prep takes about 15 minutes.
Cut a large buttercup squash in half, place cut-side-down in roasting pan with a little water, and roast at 375 for 45 minutes or until it's done. Let cool, then scoop out the meat. Scrub or peel two large parsnips and microwave on high for 5 minutes until soft. Mash together parsnips and squash, adding a little water and about 2 or 3 tablespoons butter; also add a dash of salt and a dash of nutmeg. Fry 1 lb of hot Italian sausage (removed from casing and coarsley chopped), then add sausage and pan drippings to mash. Mix well and serve with fresh ground pepper.
The spicy sausage provides a good counterpoint to the sweet squash. The parsnips don't really come through very well, but I have a lot of them to use up... This will make about 4 small meals, or several side-dish servings. You can (as I did) roast several squashes at once, scoop them out and set aside for several quick meals during the week. Once you have the squash meat ready, the rest of the prep takes about 15 minutes.