Butternut Squash Souffle

Of all the winter squash, my favorite is the flavorful Butternut. It keeps for months, and sometimes even increases in flavor with time. The hard, thick skin varies from creamy white to beige, and the yellow-orange flesh is rich in vitamin A which is important for healthy skin, vision and bones. You can't go wrong with this bell-shaped beauty! My kids' favorite way to have this vegetable is steamed, mashed and served with salt and butter. This week, with all the cold weather, I found an old recipe I pulled from a magazine years and years ago for a butternut squash souffle. I cut the squash into cubes (after removing the skin, fiber and seeds), and steamed it in my wok until I could pierce the pieces with a fork. I then mashed the squash and combined the following into it with an electric mixer:

3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

I poured this mixture into my lovely Le Creuset, and baked for 75 minutes at 325 degrees. The souffle solidified well, and this was a wonderful mix of the sweet and savory flavors of the squash and seasonings. A bit sweet, it made a delicious side dish!