I know, it’s a little bit redundant. I could hardly call butternut squash a “nut” squash, though.
I absolutely love blending delicious flavors into butter — you can do this with almost anything, and then use it on almost anything. (This is called a compound butter.)
Imagine the flavors of earthy sage, sweet squash, and smoky paprika melting over a bowl of Pappardelle pasta, a grilled rib-eye steak or rustic bread. Can you almost taste how amazing that would be?
And now, the best — and most timely — idea of all. Why not baste your Thanksgiving turkey with this divine butter? I’m telling you, you will be so happy you did. And so will your guests! Of course, you can still brine, and do all of the other good stuff to the turkey like I did here. Or simply use the butter.
Good thing we roasted the butternut squash already. 😉
- 4-ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons roasted butternut squash purée
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Mix all of the ingredients together until it's as smooth as possible. (Having the butter soft enough is very important -- it should be room temperature, but not melted.)
Hi – Made your Cuban Fish Stew this week. Amazing. Came out so good, making it again for guest next weekend. It has now become one of our top 20 comfort foods.
Have a great Thanksgiving.
Bob and Joan
Thanks so much, Bob! So happy you tried it and I so appreciate you spending time on my site. 🙂
Valentina, you are so creative! What a brilliant idea.
Patricia, you’re so kind! Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂
Do I rub the squash/butter on the turkey and then put cheesecloth over the turkey?
Hi Joan! Rub it under the skin — carefully trying not to tear it — all over, top, legs, bottom, etc. Then on top of the skin, too. During the roasting time, use a pastry brush or spoon to get the melted butter from the bottom of the pan and baste the turkey. Enjoy!
How very clever you are!! I think I like the idea of this butter best on pasta! Happy Thanksgiving! xo, d
Perfect on Pappardelle.:-) Happy Thanksgiving, David!
I bet that is fabulous on bread! What a fun recipe.
Thank, Cathy. Wishing you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving! XO