Roasted Butternut Squash & Sausage Skewers
It's likely you've had a version of this in your travels. It's one of the easier recipes our team put together for this series. Easy, yes. But also elegant (and quite delicious). Probably the hardest part is peeling, seeding, and cutting the butternut squash into uniform(ish) cubes. Don't let this dissuade you. You can do this. And once you've done it you'll be glad you did-and so will your houseful of holiday guests.
You might find it helpful to scroll through this entire page before you get started. It helps to know where you're headed before you get going.
shall we begin?
Let's!
Roasted Butternut Squash & Sausage Skewers
Prep Time: 30 Minutes/Cook Time: 1 Hour
24 Single servings
ingredients & Procedure
- Preheat oven to 400F
- 2 whole, medium butternut squash--peeled, seeded, and cut into 1" cubes
- 4 fully cooked sausage links cut into 1" pieces (we used chicken sausage with roasted red peppers and olives)
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt & pepper
- 8 sprigs fresh marjoram & 8 sprigs fresh thyme
- 24 interesting short skewers
Line a large sheet tray (cookie sheet) with parchment paper or lightly oiled aluminum foil.
In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash cubes in 2 teaspoons of olive oil and a healthy pinch of salt and a grind or two of pepper.
Arrange in a single layer on the sheet tray and roast for about 25 minutes (you'll see the edges start to get a little crispy).
meanwhile....
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil.
Arrange the sausage pieces in a single layer in the skillet.
Sear on each side till nice and caramelized.
Remove from pan and keep warm.
While the butternut squash roasts let's chat about serving these little culinary miracles at the ideal temp...
you're gonna need one of these:
setting up your wire rack chafer
BEFORE YOUR GUESTS ARRIVE, PLACE THE WIRE RACK IN THE SPOT WHERE IT WILL BE WHEN THE PARTY STARTS.
CAREFULLY OPEN THE CHAFING FUEL CAN AND PLACE IN THE FUEL HOLDER.
PLACE WATER PAN (this is the deeper of the two pans included with the buffet kit) IN WIRE RACK. FILL A PITCHER WITH 16 OZ. (2 CUPS) VERY HOT TAP WATER AND POUR INTO WATER PAN.
USING A LONG-REACH STICK LIGHTER, LIGHT THE FUEL.
IF YOUR CHAFING DISH WILL BE OUT OF SIGHT WHILE YOU CONTINUE PREPARING, MAKE SURE THERE IS AN ADULT IN THE ROOM TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENTAL FIRE.
looks like everything's right where it needs to be...Lets wrap this up:
Assembling the Skewers-
Organize all the elements in your workspace.
The food pan (this is the shallower of the 2 pans included with the Buffet Kit) should be close by.
Poke a skewer through the center of a cube of butternut squash, then a sausage piece
Arrange the loaded skewers in the food pan
Garnish with a sprig of thyme or marjoram (we alternated, as you may be able to see below).
Place the loaded food pan directly in the the wire rack. By this time, the water in the water pan should be steaming.
