When I was at the farmer’s market yesterday I knew I wanted to make something with butternut squash, but couldn’t decide what to make. After looking through my cookbooks and online, I decided to look through the pantry and use my culinary instincts (sometimes I have them!). This actually came out very well and all of the components balanced each other. Turned out to be a great fall dish ~
For the Squash ‘n Sausage:
1 butternut squash, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 package turkey smoked sausage, sliced
1 cup barley
1/2 cup water
For the sauce:
2 oz gorgonzola
1/2 tsp sage
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp flour
Preheat oven to 400. Place squash and sausage on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Drizzle squash with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes until slightly brown and the squash is tender enough that you can pierce it with a fork with no reisistance.
In a sauce pan, add 1/2 cup water and salt, bring to a boil. Add the barley and lower heat to low. Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until the barley is tender but still has a slight (slight as in tiny) crunch.
While all of this is cooking, let’s start the cheese sauce…..
Bring the butter, sage, flour, garlic and milk to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Add the cheese and bring to a slow boil, then whisk until thickened, about a minute or two.
Spoon the roasted squash and sausage over a plate of barley, then drizzle the cheese sauce on top. Keep in mind that gorgonzola is a very strong cheese and you won’t need a lot – don’t go crazy with it!
Happy Fall 🙂
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