A Party In my pantry

Family recipes are often the best, especially at the holidays. This particular dish was a signature recipe of my father-in-law’s mother. She was first-generation in Wisconsin from Germany, managed the family farm and family, and cooked everything in one large pot …possibly over a fire. I never had the pleasure of knowing her, but many of her simple but delicious recipes live on. My in-laws kept the tradition going of serving this dish at Christmas. Here are my father-in-law’s comments on preparing the Squash Apple Dish: “Since my first /only exposure to the dish was my mother’s preparation, I really only followed my remembrance of how she made it as she seldom used a detailed recipe. I like to use an approximate 2/1 weight ratio of squash to apples. Be careful not to overfill the pan – It can become moist enough to overflow, creating quite a sticky mess. I generally cut the apples into slices vs cubes such that they cook down into a more mushy/amorphous state and flow between the more structured cooked squash.  Having said that, the dish still seems at its best when baked to a level that brings the squash cubes to a full level of softness (I.e. don’t let there be any hardness to the centers of the cubes).  That may require more than an hour of baking time…don’t be too impatient. While I like the taste of well mix/blended baked squash, I personally like this dish having a more structured appearance.  I.e. I probably wouldn’t stir it once the baking process has begun. While frozen squash can be used, it does result in a less flavorful, mushier dish.”

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Fresh Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded & cut into 1 – 1/2 inch cubes
• 4 large Apples, peeled & cut into slices
• 1/2 -1 cup Butter, sliced
• 1/2 cup+ Light Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat the bottom of a dutch oven or baking dish with a thin layer of butter.   Line the bottom with a layer of squash cubes and then top with a layer of sliced apples. Next, coat with a thin dusting of flour and a little bit of cinnamon and salt. Top the squash and apples with some brown sugar and some slices of butter. Keep repeating the layers until all of your ingredients are used. Bake covered for at least an hour, or until the squash is soft.