#yucktoyum: Roasted Butternut Squash Fries

Roasted Butternut Squash Fries

Try serving plain ol’ steamed squash to your kidlets and you’re potentially setting yourself up for blank stares and wrinkled noses. But crispy roasted butternut squash fries? We’re betting they’ll at least give them a shot (one bite to be polite, after all!).

Ingredients

1 butternut squash
canola, olive or other mild
vegetable oil
salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cut the thick neck off of the butternut squash and keep the round end for another use. Peel the neck and cut it in half lengthwise, and then into even-sized 1/4-in.-thick sticks.

2. Toss the squash sticks with oil to coat well, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread in an even layer on a heavy baking sheet (one that’s dark
in colour will help them to brown) and bake for 10-15 min, turning once or twice, until golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

TIP

If butternut squash isn’t your favourite, you can try making fries out of other veggies, too (like carrots, parsnips or zucchini, for example). If the vegetable you’re using has a lot of water, de-seed, pat dry to remove the moisture, and dip in egg wash and seasoned bread crumbs before baking. You can also switch up the flavours (we love sprinkling veggie fries with a little Italian seasoning) or serve with your kiddo’s favourite dip to tip the scales in favour of the healthier French fry frontier.

Originally published in ParentsCanada magazine, October 2013. Photo by iStockphoto.