Sometimes it’s all about the acorn squash and the AC/DC.

Yeah, you heard me: acorn squash and AC/DC–as in the band.  

Throw in the brown butter on this one and well, you’re bringing the bang.

No lie.

I know, I know I might be a little late to the boat on this one but hell, I ain’t ever really thought about it—how it’s fucking awesome on everything.

So I am leaving y’all with a challenge this week, just go ahead and put the brown butter on everything.

I bet you’re wondering how I made the leap from acorn squash to AC/DC…

Well, sometimes I like to think I rock it out in my own way: 250 miles under my belt, an 8 ft bed along with two coolers stacked to the ceiling with the freshest dang product you ever did see. 

Less than 24 hours out of the field. 

It’s a fragile network of logistics that is tried and true—week-in, week out.

Horribly consistent–bringing the bang.

So whenever I hear this song on the radio, 30 miles out from the city, I am immediately transported to my youth, where any given day might have played out to be a scene from Dazed and Confused.

And because it’s the South let’s change up the scenery a bit: 4x4 vehicles, Jeep Wranglers with front-end winches, mudholes, AC/DC on tape, perhaps a few beers and quite possibly the biggest, baddest brake stall of all time.

It’s the slow motion kind, where you watch everyone in the back of your buddy’s truck bed sprayed from head to toe, in mud.

Beers in hand, raised high over head.

That.

That pretty much sums up this acorn squash drizzled with brown butter and sprinkled with buttered crumbs that, naturally, involve bacon.

It’s going to rock you from head to toe.

It sounds too good to be true.

“Squash–you’re going to rock out over a damn squash?!”

Why yes sir, I am.

Put some brown butter on your tongue and you’ll see what I am talkin’ about.

 Acorn Squash with Brown Butter and Buttered Crumbs

Prep: 20 mins

Cook time: 30-40 mins

Yield: 4 lbs baked squash

4 lbs acorn squash

4 cloves garlic, whole 

5 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

½ cup apple cider

½ cup chicken broth

1 tsp salt

1 stick butter, browned

First thing y'all are going to want to do is sharpen the chef’s knife.

Good and sharp, ya hear?

Go ahead and turn on the oven too, to 375F. 

Break off the stems, as close to the squash as possible. 

Now once the knife is good and sharp, carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the seeds then cut each half crosswise. 

Layer squash slices in a 5 qt dutch oven. 

Add in garlic, thyme, bay leaf, apple cider and chicken broth. 

Sprinkle in the salt over top. Cover with a lid and slide right on into the center of the oven. 

Check the tenderness of the squash after about 25 to 30 minutes. If squash starts slides off the fork or is easy broken apart, it be ready. 

While the squash is baking make y'alls brown butter. 

Remember the buttered crumbs recipe?

Well, if not it's quick and easy. 

We changed it up a bit this time: did 6 slices of pumpernickel/rye bread and sautéd some yellow onion and garlic in addition to the green onions y'all will be tossing them in. 

Once the squash is ready, transfer to a medium/large size platter, drizzle with brown butter, sprinkle on buttered crumbs and serve. it. up. 

Y'all can’t get enough and you can’t get your fill.