How to Cook Butternut Squash Without Turning on Your Oven

It’s squash season, and at this time of year, you can’t beat a sweet, perfectly soft butternut squash. Tasty in soups, salads or as a simplistically tasty side, now is the time to chow down on this seasonal veg. Normally, you’d roast your butternut squash by sticking it in a hot oven for about an hour, but if you plan accordingly, there’s a much easier way to make velvety smooth butternut squash in your slow cooker.

To start, slice the squash in half horizontally (through the stem) and then scoop out the seeds. Be careful slicing it, as the exterior will be tough! Use a large chef’s knife if you have one.

Once the squashes are halved and cleaned, pile them in the slow cooker. Depending on the size of your slow cooker, you can roast several medium-sized squashes at a time, since they can sit on top of one another. Cover the squash halves in a drizzle of olive oil and pure maple syrup, then sprinkle in a dash of salt. If you’re looking for a little more heat, throw in a sprinkling of black and chili pepper, too. Seasoning the squash at the beginning allows them to fully absorb the flavors as the squash cook.

Next, cover the slow cooker and cook on a low heat for eight hours. Ideally you would set your squash to cook overnight. If your slow cooker is on low, it’s going to be really tough to overcook these, and could be heated through for as long as 10 hours without any issue. Added benefit: your house is going to smell great when you wake up in the morning.

After the squash has cooked thoroughly, remove the halves from your slow cooker and scoop the squash from the shell. You’ll know the squash is done if it’s tender and smooth, not tough. Enjoy your slow cooked squash with a spoon or add it to any of these tasty recipes: