Butternut Squash Jack O’ Lanterns

Our car is done. Like RIP, crossed over to the other side, there’s no coming back. Done. It’s a navy blue Mercury Grand Marquis (fabric top) that was gifted from Jaryd’s grandmother when she decided to stop driving. We call it the boat (or land yacht) and it has served us well for the last five-ish years. It has generated countless conversations with strangers, intrigued by why we are driving this automobile that is usually most popular in the AARP Seniors crowd…

We were planning on getting rid of it in a few months. It’s almost like big blue knew what was coming and was like “F you, guys! I’m doing my own thing.” I kind of respect the old car going out on it’s own terms. So now we are car-less. I think we are going to see how long we can go without a car completely. Fingers crossed our Uber habit doesn’t get too expensive.

We had big plans to take the car this weekend to go pumpkin-ing at a legit farm with tractors and whatnot. Every single one of us wore flannel. It’s all great until you really hype it for your toddler and then your car doesn’t start. We did a quick google search and ending up biking to a farm stand in northern Philly. If you have the chance, check out Greensgrow. It’s a super cute urban farm with chickens and a pig and really pretty flowers.

I’m happy we went because it was such a gorgeous fall day, we got to explore a new area of Philly, and biking through Fishtown and Northern Liberties (up and coming Philly neighborhoods that we don’t frequent too often) had Jaryd and I wishing we had moved up there to explore a new part of Philly.

This whole fall experience has got me feeling alllll the fall feelings. Hence my new Pinterest board “Fall is in the air.” One of the things I came across on Pinterest was these adorable fall themed sweet potato fries shaped like Jack-o-lanturns. I thought they were absolutely perfect for the kids and so I wanted to make my own version. Here’s how you make Butternut Squash Jack-o-Lanterns:

First you want to cut off the ends of the butternut squash. Peel the outer layer and keep peeling until you get past the green lines to the orangey flesh. Here’s a picture of those green lines I’m talking about! Shave those babies off 🙂

Hold on to the bell part and cut 1/4 inch slices until you get to the seeds. Save the seedy bell for another recipe.

I highly recommend finding some cookie cutters for some shapes, though you can use a paring knife.

My pumpkin cookie cutter was a bit oversized, so I used it for some of the bigger circles. I used a small paring knife to cut out the eyes and mouth for the jack-o-lanturns. I also played with different shapes like one witches hat (quickly abandoned it). The stars were super cute too!

Brush the shapes with some melted coconut oil and sprinkle the spices. Flip the squash and do the same for the other side.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Then, broil on high for about 2 minutes. The house will smell HEAVENLY!

Did you make this? Leave a review below and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!

Recipe

VG Vegetarian

Butternut Squash Jack-o-Lanterns

Really fun treat and snack for autumn! These Butternut Squash Jack O’ Lanterns are flavorful and perfect for the kids and adults alike!

Recipe by:Lindsay Grimes

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Prep: 20 minsCook: 22 minsTotal: 42 mins

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Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash, cut in 1/4″ slices
• 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Cut off the ends of the butternut squash and peel the outer layer to the orangey flesh.
3. Then, hold on to the bell part of the squash and cut 1/4 inch slices until you get to the seeds. Save the seedy bell for another recipe.
4. Use a cookie cutter or a paring knife to cut out the eyes and mouth of the jack-o-lanturns. Play with different shapes like a witches hat, a pumpkin, stars, a spider, a bat, etc.
5. Place the shapes on a lined baking sheet.
6. Brush with melted coconut oil and sprinkle with spices. Flip the squash and brush and spice the other side.
7. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Then, broil on high for about 2 minutes.

© The Toasted Pine Nut

So cute!!! Sweet potatoes would also be awesome! What other veggies can we do? Enjoy! xo

Save this for later!! Pin the image below 🙂