Butternut squash and meatball deliciousness!

Well it is definitely fall over here which means.. wait for it... squash and pumpkin season!!!!! Well I found the best recipe ever to use them up and it tasted ever so wonderful so I thought I would share the recipe!!! I found the original recipe here. The original recipe used spaghetti squash and I only had a butternut squash that I bought ever so nicely priced at our local farmer's market. I did a couple of alterations but make sure to go visit What Jessie Eats blog as well for the original recipe! She has some great stuff on there!

Here we go! Butternut Squash and Meatball Deliciousness!!!

 So here we go! Let's start cooking. Now depending on what type of squash you use, make sure to know around how long it takes. I had never cooked a squash until this recipe so, I did not know it takes FOREVER. My butternut squash was a big one so I cooked it for around 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Here are the ingredients that you will need. I forgot to put an onion, so pretend there's an onion. ;)

I recommend starting to prep your squash as it takes the longest to cook. Pre-heat your oven at 350 degrees F.

I cut off a little bit off the top so I could cut through it easier. Be careful!

Now remove the seeds and carve it out a little bit. To make room for the meatballs, when the squash is cook, you can remove some of flesh to make more it bowl like as the flesh is to hard pre-cooked to carve out more. Once you take the seeds it, rub coconut oil, olive oil, or butter all over the inside. I used butter this time as I handle it OK for the most part. I used European butter as it has more flavor and less water than American butter.

Put it on a baking sheet and your ready to go! I cooked mine at 350 degrees F for about 1 hours and 15 minutes.

Mmmm! YummY!!!!

Butternut Squash

Prep time: 10
Cook time: 45 mins. to 1 hr and 15 mins.
Total time: 55 mins to 1 hr and 25 mins.
Yield: two halves
Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash- or any other type you like
  
• 2 Tbs butter, olive oil, or coconut oil
  

Cooking Directions

1. I recommend starting to prep your squash as it takes the longest to cook.
   
   
2. Pre-heat your oven at 350 degrees F.
   
   
3. I cut off a little bit off the top so I could cut through it easier. Be careful!
   
   
4. Now remove the seeds and carve it out a little bit.
   
   
5. To make room for the meatballs, when the squash is cook, you can remove some of flesh to make more it bowl like as the flesh is to hard pre-cooked to carve out more.
   
   
6. Once you take the seeds it, rub coconut oil, olive oil, or butter all over the inside. I used butter this time as I handle it OK for the most part. I used European butter as it has more flavor and less water than American butter.
   
   
7. Put it on a baking sheet and your ready to go!
   
   
8. I cooked mine at 350 degrees F for about 1 hours and 15 minutes.
   

Now let's get to the meatballs and delicious onion and mushroom gravy!

Mix your ground beef with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, pepper, and salt. Add your egg mix and form your meatballs and put them in the pan. I was able to make 9 meatballs with 1lb of ground beef.

While those are browning start prepping your veggies. I used bella mushrooms and a medium onion.

When your meatballs become all nice and browned all sides and cooked through, remove them.

Add a tablespoon of coconut oil or butter to the pan. Then add your sliced mushrooms and cook on medium. When they start to brown add your diced onion.

Then add your beef stock and coconut milk to the pan and season with salt and pepper and garlic powder if you like. Let it start to simmer. Add the coconut flour and simmer. Then add your thickening agent, the original recipe called for 2 tablespoons of arrowroot or tapioca start. Mine did not thicken very well so I did add a tablespoon of corn starch. When you add a powdered thickening start to a liquid, it is a good idea to mix the powder with a couple tablespoon of water otherwise when added to a gravy it creates lumps of starch.
It will then turn into this wonderful golden delicious brown gravy. This would be great on white potatoes as well.

Now add your meatballs to the lovely gravy and let them cook in there for a few minutes.

You may want to prep your squash and take out a little bit of the flesh to make room for the meatballs and gravy. Ladle them in and Walla! Wonderful Fall deliciousness!!!!

Meatballs

Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: around 15 mins
Yield: 9-10 meatballs
Ingredients

• 1lb ground beef
  
• 1 egg
  
• 2 1/2 tsp onion powder
  
• 1 TBS garlic powder
  
• 1 tsp paprika
  
• 1/2 tsp pepper
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  

Cooking Directions

1. Mix your ground beef with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, pepper, and salt.
   
   
2. Add your egg, mix with your hands and form your meatballs and put them in the pan. I was able to make 9 meatballs with 1lb of ground beef.
   
   
3. While those are browning start prepping your veggies.
   
   
4. When your meatballs become all nice and browned all sides and cooked through, remove them.

Onion and Mushroom Brown Gravy

Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups sliced mushroom
  
• 1 medium onion-diced
  
• 2 cups beef stock
  
• 1 cup coconut milk- I used the carton kind
  
• 2 Tbs coconut flour
  
• 2 Tbs arrowroot or tapioca starch
  

Cooking Directions

1. Add a tablespoon of coconut oil or butter to the pan.
   
   
2. Then add your sliced mushrooms and cook on medium.
   
   
3. When they start to brown add your diced onion.
   
   
4. Then add your beef stock and coconut milk to the pan and season with salt and pepper and garlic powder if you like. Let it start to simmer.
5. Add the coconut flour and simmer.
   
   
6. Then add your thickening agent, the original recipe called for 2 tablespoons of arrowroot or tapioca start. Mine did not thicken very well so I did add a tablespoon of corn starch. When you add a powdered thickening start to a liquid, it is a good idea to mix the powder with a couple tablespoon of water otherwise when added to a gravy it creates lumps of starch.
   
   
7. Let it thicken nicely on medium heat.
   
   
8. When gravy is thickened add your meatballs to the lovely gravy and let them cook in there for a few minutes.
   

Hope you enjoy this delicious recipe. Don't forget to check out the original recipe here at What Jessie Eats!