Pesto Butternut Squash Pizza

Pesto Butternut Squash Pizza
Makes 4 Servings
Adapted from Cooking Light

6 (1/4-inch-thick) slices peeled butternut squash (about 1/2 pound)
2 tsp splenda
1 tsp olive oil
Cooking spray
1 pound pizza dough OR 1 Pillsbury crust (thin)
2 oz. shredded reduced fat mozzarella
2 tbsp reduced fat parmesan cheese
1 14.5-ounce can finely chopped tomatoes, drained well
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup pesto (12 tsp)
10 grams (4 tsp) shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
Red pepper flakes to taste

Preheat oven to 400°. Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Place squash mixture on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes or until squash is tender. If using Pillsbury dough, pre-bake on its own for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle dough with mozzarella and grated parmesan. Top with squash mixture, tomatoes and oregano. Drop Pesto by 12 level teaspoons onto pizza; sprinkle with shredded fresh parmesan. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Nutritional Information: 428 calories, 58 carbs, 19 fat grams and 15 protein grams.

Review: YUM! I never would have thought about putting squash on a pizza, but it tasted wonderful and i'm so glad I did it! The pesto went well with it, as well as the parmesean. Although, next time, I will spread the pesto across the top instead of the drops. The drops were fun, but I wished I'd had pesto in every single bite! I will definitely make this again - loved the colors, the taste, how filling it was and think it's a great seasonal meal.

Butternut Squash Black Bean Burritos

Butternut Squash Black Bean Burritos
Recipe Inspired by One Heatlhy Apple and Dinners for a Year and Beyond
Makes 4 Servings

1/2 pound ground turkey
1 tsp olive oil
salt, pepper and paprika to taste
1 4 oz. can green chiles
2 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup cooked butternut squash
1/2 can black beans
1 batch homemade enchilada sauce (add 1 can tomato paste; ¾ cup water; 1 ½ tsp cumin, ¼ tsp chili powder to  a small sauce pan over medium heat; whisk together for 1 minute; Add in 1 14 oz. can vegetable stock and ½ tsp kosher salt; Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes)
4 large tortillas
Cilantro to garnish (optional)

Brown turkey in a skillet with olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika, and set to the side. Mix cooked turkey with chiles, shredded cheese, butternut squash and black beans in a bowl. Pour a layer of enchilada sauce at the bottom of your baking dish. Stuff each tortilla with 1/4 of the stuffing and roll up; repeat until finished. Pour remaining enchilada sauce on top and sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Nutritional Information: 397 calories, 56 carbs, 9 fat grams and 25 protein grams.

Review: I find these amazing. Not going to lie – the sauce absolutely makes them. Typically I’m not a big fan of ground turkey, so to be able to ‘mask’ it in this soft tortilla and yummy sauce is wonderful! The beans went really well with the squah, and like always, the squash made this super filling. It reheated very well, and is a winner with us. Definitely make this your own – try other squash or veggies, try chicken or beef – it’s easy to mix this one up and make it your favorite. Just make the sauce and you’ll be fine!

Turkey & Squash Risotto

Turkey & Squash Risotto
Recipe inspired by Closet Cooking
Makes 4 Servings

2 tbsp light butter in canola oil
1 onion, raw, diced
1 cup butternut squash, raw (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 cup arborio rice
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cumin
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)
1/2 pound turkey (cooked, cut into bite sized pieces)
12 tsp parmesan cheese (ground)
10 grams parmesan cheese (fresh)

Melt butter in a large sauce pan. Add onions and squash and simmer for 5 minutes to start softening them. Add rice and spices and coat with butter. Add wine and stir until evaporated. Add 1/4 cup of stock at a time and stir until it has evaporated over 20 minutes of cooking time. Add cranberries after 1 cup of stock has been added (after about 10 minutes). Once it’s done, add turkey and parmesan; stir until turkey is heated.

Nutritional Information: 369 calories, 46 carbs, 10 fat grams and 18 protein grams.

Review: Excellent! Such a great fall/winter dish. The turkey added a lot to make it more filling, and the risotto and butternut squash blended together so well. I did add a bit of salt, but that was about it! You would be fine to sub 96/4 ground beef for it if you preferred, but the turkey was a nice change of pace. I don't normally like the taste of turkey, so it's great to find recipes that have enough flavor to mask it a bit - and this did - so it's a winner with me! Also, while I said the little cranberries were optional, I must say I really liked these surprise bites of sweetness!