Swap Potatoes For Butternut Squash For Fall-Inspired French Fries

Few side dishes are as timeless and versatile as french fries. Whether you're pairing them with juicy beef burgers, country fried chicken, or completing a girl dinner platter of Caesar salad, tinned fish, and a crispy Diet Coke, there's no meal that can't benefit from a side of fries. When fall rolls around, however, swapping regular spuds for sweet potatoes is a given. But this autumn season, try making butternut squash fries instead.

Although sweet potatoes are a common fall provision, butternut squash is a seasonal gem synonymous with the holiday months. Even though the buttery sweet-tasting gourd is most commonly transformed into soup, butternut squash fries are a crispy, handheld snack and side dish that rivals those made with sweet potatoes. At once tender and crispy, sweet and savory, butternut squash fries boast a complex flavor profile and dynamic mouthfeel that pairs well with various herbs, seasonings, and dips, ensuring that you'll never have to compromise on or omit your favorite sweet potato fry fixings.

Perfect for fall potlucks or your average weeknight dinner, this autumnal side dish mouthwatering accompaniment to any main course. Whether it's roasted lamb legs, wagyu sandwiches, buttery seared fish, or mushroom steaks, there's no shortage of entrées that marry well with the delicate taste of butternut squash fries. Not only are they a delicious utility side, thanks to their high fiber content and abundance of essential vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients, butternut squash fries also offer meals an extra boost of wholesome nutrition.

Before you can enjoy butternut squash fries, you first have to make them. Luckily, with a few simple tips in mind, even foodies new to the kitchen can hack this fall-inspired veggie side dish.

For starters, always wash your produce before cooking. Gourds in general tend to be on the dirtier side, so don't skip out on giving it a good rinse before the prep work begins. Because you're working with a large, dense vegetable, the trickiest part of making butternut squash french fries is cutting them into leggy french fry shapes. Make sure to use a sharp chef's knife for clean cuts, and begin by placing the squash horizontally. Cut the tip and the neck of the squash first, remove the skin from each section with a peeler, then place the base upright and slice it at a vertical angle. Scoop out its stringy guts and seeds, then slice the squash into french fry shapes.

Now that the hardest part is over, consider your cooking methods. Oven-baking butternut squash fries is a hands-free technique that allows to you work on other recipes while they cook. Air frying, on the other hand, works twice as fast as a conventional oven — perfect for butternut squash fries on the go. Consider coating them in cornstarch or breadcrumbs for extra crunch.

Dust butternut squash fries in flash-fried herbs like basil, rosemary, or thyme and sprinkle them in garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika for a smoky allium taste. Don't forget to dunk them in a standard lemon garlic aioli or blue cheese dressing for a creamy coating that gives way to a satisfying crunch.