Let's hear it for Butternut Squash!

Butternut squash. I LOVE butternut squash! It comes from the Cucurbitaceae family and is choke full of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Beta-carotene. This fantastic fruit (yes I said fruit) is known in the science world as Cucurbita Moschata, but to me it is known as just plan yummy! For dinner tonight I made oven baked chicken nuggets and a butternut squash puree. Even though this winter squash has a delightful taste on its own, I still like to experiment. Here is the recipe for what I came up with:

Morgan's Italian Squash Puree

4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1/3 cup fat-free ricotta cheese

1/3 cup Italian blend shredded cheese

2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

2 tsp dried thyme or 1 tbsp fresh thyme

A dash of garlic salt

1) Place cubed squash in a microwave safe bowl with a little bit of water. Cover with plastic wrap, leaving a small side open for venting. Microwave until squash is tender, about 15-20 minutes.

2) Add ricotta cheese, thyme and garlic salt to the cooked squash and blend with a hand mixer until creamy.

3) Add shredded cheese and Parmesan cheese to mixture and mix by hand.

Serves 4-5

2= Weight Watcher points per serving