This vibrant orange vegetable is delish and super nutritious. Butternut squash is packed with fiber, vitamins A and C.  This skinny recipe has only 139 calories, 3 grams of fat and 4 Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS per serving. The full fat recipe has 297 calories but contains a ton more fat, 17 grams. I brought the fat grams way down by using reduced-fat milk and a reduced- fat butter.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds)

2 tablespoons golden brown sugar

3 tablespoons reduced-fat butter or Smart Balance Light, melted

¼ teaspoon salt or to taste

¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

¼ cup reduced-fat milk, heated

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. (I like olive oil cooking spray)

2. Cut off ends of the squash and discard.  Peel squash, cut it in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.  Cut the squash into ¾-inch cubes and place on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the top of the squash.  Spoon  melted butter evenly over the top.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss together all ingredients and spread in a single layer.

3. Place in oven and bake for 40 minutes or until the squash is tender. Using a spatula, turn over squash after 20 minutes.

4. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, place cooked squash, pan liquids and warmed milk.  Pulse until  squash is coarsely pureed.  If you don’t have a food processor, place everything in a medium size bowl.  Using a potato masher or the back of a fork, mash the cubes of squash until pureed.

5. Serve hot.

Serves 5 (½ cup) servings

Food Fact
Butternut squash looks like a pear-shaped bat.  The color of its smooth shell ranges from yellow to camel.  The origin of butternut squash is from Mexico and Central America.

Prep Tip
Mashed Butternut Squash can be prepared several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to heat and serve.

Shopping Tip
To save prep time, most supermarkets carry packages of cubed butternut squash.  I found them in 8 oz packages.  Just make sure you buy enough to equal 2 pounds.

Substitution Tip
Sweet potatoes can be used in this recipe instead of butternut squash.  Be sure to peel them first.

Weight Watchers (old points) 3
Weight Watchers POINTS PLUS 4