Last week I made zucchini fries, for which there is no recipe posted at the moment because the photos did not look so pretty, but I know I will make it again in the next few days, they are that good. But one of the best aspects of that recipe was the panko breadcrumb and parmesan mixture, so when I spotted this recipe for butternut squash I had a feeling it would work, and it does, a very tasty side dish. And it has a lot of fresh thyme, so after it bakes you have this wonderful toasted cheese and thyme fragrance that lingers, and the only thing better than food that looks and tastes great is smells great! Which reminds me of an article I read the other day, the geography of a supermarket, how they strategically place the bakery across the store, to draw you in with all the great bakery smell, and then place booze and snacks nearby, because these things for some reason have a shared association in our brain. Which is funny because we shop at Trader Joe's quite a bit, and while they don't have a bakery, there are snacks and bottles of wine in every nook and cranny of the store, so in that case they don't need the bakery allure. It's just one big snack fest!

So with this recipe I pretty much used all the same ingredients without swapping any out, however I assembled it a bit different, the original recipes calls for mixing or tossing right on the baking sheet, and if I were to do that everything would end up on the floor, so I tossed in a bowl and then transferred to the baking sheet. And finally peeling a butternut squash is a true test of a vegetable peeler, that item has made it's way onto must-have-better list! Hope you enjoy, the squash is simple to make and delicious!

Recipe below.

Crusted Butternut Squash
(adapted from Sprouted Kitchen and Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi)

1 butternut squash (about 2 lbs.)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 minced garlic clove
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400°

Peel the squash, slice it in half length wise and discard the seeds. Cut into 1/4'' slices. In a large bowl add the squash, toss in the olive oil and nutmeg until well coated and combined. In a small bowl combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, fresh herbs, garlic and salt and pepper. Add breadcrumb mixture to the bowl of squash and mix until throughly coated. Place the squash in a single layer on the baking sheet. Topping with any remaining breadcrumb mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes.