How to Cut a Butternut Squash

Have you ever been intimidated by some of the big winter squashes? I know I have. For the longest time, I never wanted to buy spaghetti squash or butternut squash because they just seemed like too much to handle. But once you buy one to try out, and prepare it like I do, you won’t be afraid any longer! I’m going to show you how to cut a butternut squash. It’s super easy; like, the easiest way ever to cut and prepare. You’ll never buy pre-cut squash again! Here’s what you need:

• Cutting board
• Large knife
• Vegetable peeler
• Microwave-safe plate
• Microwave
• Fork
• Spoon for scooping out seeds
• Plastic bag
• Gloves (Optional, but I’ve found that squash really dries out my hands!)

Step 1: After rinsing off your butternut squash, poke holes all around it with a fork. Don’t be afraid to go crazy here; I make sure there are plenty of holes.

Step 2: Place the squash on top of the plate, and put them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. If you don’t poke holes in your squash, you might have a squash explosion, and that won’t be good. The reason I microwave my squash is to make it much easier to cut.

Step 3: Carefully take the squash out of the microwave (it’s a little hot!) and place it on the cutting board. Use your large knife to cut off both ends.

Step 4: Set your squash up vertically and cut right down the middle. Now you can easily access the seeds, so scoop them out with your spoon and right into the plastic bag.

Step 5: Peel the entire outside of the squash and put the peelings in the plastic bag.

Step 6: Cut your squash into thin strips. The wider parts of the squash will be curve-shaped like above; just slice off the stringy parts and simply cut those into cubes. The rest of the squash will be in a half circle shape. Cut the piece in half like you see on the right picture above, and then turn and cut them into smaller pieces.

Now you have small butternut squash cubes to do what you like! I love roasting them in the oven or adding them to soups. This whole process will take about 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the squash and how fast you are at chopping. This would be a good thing to do on a Sunday afternoon as part of your meal prep! Now that you know the easiest way to cut a butternut squash, here are some recipes I’ve tried that I think you’ll love!

• Butternut Squash and Black Bean Chili
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Maple Cinnamon Butternut Squash
• Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchilada Skillet

Do you have any tips on how to cut a butternut squash? Share in the comments and help us out!

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