How to Peel and Cut a Butternut Squash (and a recipe for a delicious dinner)

There is a first time for everything.  Last night I peeled and cut a butternut squash for the first time.

I often use fresh squash in recipes, but I ALWAYS cheat and buy the pre-cut squash mainly because I am in a hurry and I think, "I will save so much time not having to peel and cut the squash myself."  Well, the price difference  finally got to me:  $1.49 for the entire squash (about 2-3 lbs) OR $5.49 for 1 lb cut.  Come on now, I am busy, but am I really too busy to cut up my own squash?  Answer:  No.

Now, there is one cooking rule I always follow:  don't reinvent the wheel.  When faced with new tasks, I always check out cooking websites, blogs, and, of course, Pinterest, for best strategies.  This task was no different.   After a few searches, I decided to employ the technique recommended on a Simply Recipes post.

I planned to take pictures, but I completely forgot.  Just as well because my squash cutting skills definitely don't compare to the skill illustrated on Simply Recipes.  Even though I didn't have a heavy duty peeler (I know - how did I get through a couple of bridal showers and a wedding registry without one of those?), I still found the technique to be very easy to duplicate!

So, on to the delicious dinner:  Hungry Girl's Chicken Sausage n' Squash Pack.  (Are you familiar with Hungry Girl?  Subscribing to Hungry Girl's Tips and Tricks was a GREAT decision.)  Here is the recipe (makes 2 servings):

Prep:
1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2) Take a large piece of foil, lay it on a baking sheet, and spray it with nonstick spray (I used PAM butter flavor)

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix 3 cups cubed butternut squash with 1/4 teaspoon dried ground sage, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon salt.  Lay the mixture on the center of the piece of foil.

Cover the butternut squash with:

2-3 links of fully cooked chicken sausage any flavor so long as it is under 8 grams of fat or less per 3 oz serving (to keep it healthy).  I picked up Amy's sun dried tomato chicken sausage from Whole Foods.
1 cup chopped apple (I used a Honeycrisp apple)
1/2 cup chopped onion

Fold together and seal all four edges of the foil pieces, forming a well sealed packet.  Bake for 45 minutes or until squash is tender (45 minutes was perfect for my oven).

IMPORTANT:  Cut packet to release steam before opening the packet entirely.

Here is my picture of the delicious meal (I am still working on my food photo taking skills):