Thanksgiving is a great time of year, no doubt. For those of us who are in charge or are being hosts, it can get a little stressful and overwhelming. This series is 14 days to an easy Thanksgiving and it will walk you through the 14 days before Thanksgiving and what you can do to get ready each day, just a little project or task that will make your Thanksgiving day EASY! Most of the things are great family time ideas and things your kids can help with too!
DAY 12 – BUTTERNUT SQUASH, GREENS
Today is more food prep so you won’t have as much to do come Thanksgiving day. Butternut Squash is a traditional Thanksgiving food but it does take some time to get it ready, so we are going to do that today we well as wash the salad greens. Also if you are making Cranberry Relish (raw) then you can make that today too.
For the butternut squash, you will want to peel, seed and cube it today. Then store it in a container and on Thanksgiving day you can either toss it with olive oil, salt and some seasoning and roast at 425 degrees until caramelized (golden brown), or you can make it into soup or even pie. But this way it is ready.
Washing your salad greens is easy, but still takes time and getting it out of the way now makes one less thing to worry about on Thanksgiving morning. Once you wash them, dry them well and wrap them loosely in paper towels. Then you will put them in a plastic bag and put them in the crisper. They will fresh and crispy on Thanksgiving morning, and all you have to do is toss them in your salad.
If you make your own vinaigrette for your salad, you can make that today too!
Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
- 6 tablespoons chopped onion
- 4 tablespoons margarine
- 6 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
- 3 cups water
- 4 cubes chicken bouillon
- 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
Directions:
- Cut squash in half (length wise), remove seeds and then put face down on a plate and microwave for 8-10 minutes, or roast in oven for about 45 minutes at 375 degrees. This will allow you to easily get the skin off. Once the skin is off, dice into cubes.
- In a large saucepan, saute onions in margarine until tender. Add squash, water, bouillon, marjoram, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil; cook 20 minutes, or until squash is tender.
- Puree squash and cream cheese in a blender or food processor in batches until smooth. Return to saucepan, and heat through. Do not allow to boil
Thanks to Mary for this Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
What is your favorite way to have Butternut Squash on Thanksgiving?
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If you missed a day, you can catch up here:
Day 1: Plan your Guest List and Menu
Day 2: Plan your Date and Food Assignments
Day 3: Arrange and Organize
Day 4: Shopping Day (Get your Turkey or Ham)
Day 5: Plates, Silverware, and Glasses
Day 6: Tablecloths and Serving Dishes
Day 7: Place Cards and Decorations
Day 8: Pie/Pastry Crust and Thawing your Turkey
Day 9: Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce, and Green Beans
Day 10: Shopping Day + Traditional Thanksgiving Menu
Day 11: Gravy, Onions, & Vegetables
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(Thanks Wilton, SouthernLiving, MakenzieBlog)
