Butternut Squash Rounds

Apologies for the blog hiatus.  Law school finals kind of consumed my life.  I was still cooking (because I needed to eat), but not all of what I was eating is suitable for sharing (Honey Nut Cheerios and/or bread and cheese is a meal right?). I did try to take photos of some of the good stuff, so the next few posts will be "catch-up" so to speak. 

I keep picking up butternut squash at the store.  I know it's not in season, at least not anywhere nearby, but it's so delicious, even out of season, that I can't resist.  I actually got the idea for these rounds from Pinterest, my latest online obsession.  I was wondering what to do with the butternut squash that had been in my fridge for a week after my latest round of hunger-induced impulse buying, and then I saw this post for zucchini parmesan crisps and the idea was born.  These are great as a side dish (Mom and I had the leftovers with burgers one night) or as part of the main meal (toss over a salad or some brown rice and you have a tasty vegetarian light dinner). 

Butternut Squash Rounds

1 medium butternut squash
1/3 c. olive oil
1 c. Italian-style breadcrumbs
1/2 c. grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 F.  Peel and slice the butternut squash into 1/2 inch thick rounds.  For the bottom part of the squash, I just cut meal-sized chunks and used them as best I could.  They weren't as pretty, but they sure were tasty.  Pour the olive oil into a shallow bowl.  Similarly, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl as well, mixing thoroughly.  Next, dip each  round in the olive oil (both sides), and then dip in the breadcrumb mixture.  Place on a greased cookie sheet (I used my silicone cookie sheet over a regular cookie sheet rather than greasing), and bake at 400 for about 20-30 minutes, flipping every 10 minutes, until golden and crispy on the outside.