Pressure Cooker Honey Ginger Butternut Squash

We were sitting at a bar waiting for our meal. I was sipping on a perfectly made vodka martini. My husband was looking at something on his phone. Then he asked me to look through this list of items with him. A points program was ending and he had to use points or lose them. There was a lot of junk in the list and a whole bunch of things I already have. Then I saw a pressure cooker in the list. Well, that’s the start of how Pressure Cooker Honey Ginger Butternut Squash happened in my kitchen.

The cooker arrived in a few days. I was beyond busy and didn’t have the time to tackle a new gadget. I put it downstairs and it sat there for months. Then things changed. I finally had the time to play with my new toy. So first up was getting cookbooks. I decided on Pressure Cooker Perfection and Great Food Fast (Amazon affiliate links).

Next up was deciding what to cook. I could have went for my dad’s beef stew. He made it in a pressure cooker. However I wanted something different. I poured through the books and decided on a mashed butternut squash recipe. The recipe below is a slightly adapted version of one in the Pressure Cooker Perfection book, only changing up the book’s variations. (Yes, that’s an adaption of a variation).

So how was my pressure cooking experience? It was not what I expected in one way and what I hoped for in another. My memories of pressure cooking is with a traditional pot. I remember the sound of it sizzling, jiggling, and making all kinds of noises when under pressure. My electric one was quiet and I had to keep looking at it to check if it was running. Only familiar sound was when I released the pressure. The resulting dish? It turned out perfectly. Now I’m hooked. Look out world, there’s a good kind of pressure to be happening often in my kitchen. Oh, and just in case you are curious, I have a Cuisinart CPC-600 1000-Watt 6-Quart Electric Pressure Cooker (Amazon affiliate link).

How is Pressure Cooker Honey Ginger Butternut Squash? It’s smooth yet not a puree. Think of the difference between mashed and whipped potatoes. Simple flavors of honey and ginger are a lovely accent to the squash. It has richness from butter and cream. The best part is it is done in a fraction of the time instead of boiling. Then again, that is one of the benefits of pressure cooking. Next up? Perhaps beans or maybe brisket. Decisions, decisions. Stay tuned…

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Pressure Cooker Honey Ginger Butternut Squash

Pressure Cooker Honey Ginger Butternut Squash is a delightful side dish. It is smooth with warm spice flavors and richness from butter and cream.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 13 minutes

Total Time 23 minutes

Servings 4 to 6 servings

Author Renee

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds butternut squash; peeled about 8 cups, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces .
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. This recipe is for an electric pressure cooker.
2. Combine squash, water, and salt in the pressure cooker pot. Lock and set to high pressure for 12 minutes.
3. Quick release pressure and turn off cooker (do not allow it to switch to warm setting).
4. Drain squash.
5. Add butter, half-and-half, ginger, and cinnamon to the pressure cooker pot. Cook on sauté setting until butter melts (about 1 minute) then turn off cooker.
6. Add cooked squash. Use a potato masher to mash squash and combine ingredients. Be sure to use a masher safe for non-stick surfaces.
7. Transfer mashed squash to a bowl and serve.

Recipe Notes

Pressure Cooker Honey Ginger Butternut Squash is a delightful side dish. It is smooth with warm spice flavors and richness from butter and cream.