Last year I was in Hilton Head, South Carolina for Thanksgiving with my family. Catered Thanksgiving meals are my favorite because I dont’ have to do anything and clean up is so much easier

Don’t get me wrong, I love to cook but sometimes all the pots and pans and cleaning required for such a big meal can be a bit of a deterrent. This year my Mom is doing the bulk of cooking but I’ve been tasked with making my mashed sweet potatoes (no marshmallows are involved) and a butternut squash mash that I made after tasting one at Nando’s.

It’s a kind of spicy and sweet side dish. Here’s what you need…

Ingredients:

- 1 butternut squash peeled, and diced into 2 inch cubes
- 1 red onion
- About a cup of chicken stock
- 1 handful of cilantro chopped roughly
- brown sugar to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- Nando’s Peri Peri sauce

How I Made It:

I take the butternut squash with the red onion chopped up and sprinkle it with olive oil, salt and pepper and then roast it for 30 minutes in a 400 degree oven. When it comes out of the oven I pop in a medium heat pan and add the chicken stock (or broth), cilantro and just a sprinkle of brown sugar. I mash it over the heat and when it’s to a nice chunky consistency I fold in the Nando’s Peri Peri sauce - you could do a garlic hot sauce too if you can’t get Nando’s. It’s just enough spice but still a bit of sweet in the background.  

I’m adding a little something different to our Thanksgiving table, what about you?

Goose Gourds! I’ve never seen these until today but I think they are insanely cool.

How beautiful are these? Went apple picking today, will have to put up some of the great pics later.