Pressure Cooker Acorn Squash
Acorn squash is one of those love or not products. Our family is split on who loves it and who would rather not eat it. I fall in the love it group but until recently it was something that I didn’t make often because of the amount of time it took to prepare. Well, not anyone! My pressure cooker acorn squash is so easy to make that I have been enjoying fresh acorn squash for snacks!
Before my love affair with my pressure cookers, baking acorn squash would take an hour! Yikes! Then we started dicing it and roasting it in the oven (which is awesome – just salt, pepper and a little oil in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes)..
Recently I learned to prick the skin (pretty deeply) and place in a bowl in the microwave for 12 minutes. This is a faster way to cook it but the seeds are more difficult to remove and I found I wasted a good amount of the squash.
So now….. As part of my affair with my pressure cookers (yes cookers as in more than one); acorn squash has become a staple in my diet. I love it! So easy to make, and oh the flavor is amazing.
Ingredients:
1 Acorn Squash
Optional Seasoning (before or after cooking)
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar or Honey
Cinnamon or Nutmeg to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions:
Slice acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds and stringy mess inside the center
Insert trivet into pressure cooker and place acorn squash on the trivet
If you are adding the seasonings before cooking, place half of each into the bowl of the squash, otherwise, just place squash on the trivet inside the pressure cooker
Add 1.5 cups water to the pressure cooker
Lock the lid in place and set the venting button / knob to seal. Make sure the locking pin is engaged on the lid
Press the manual (or high or meat depending on the pressure cooker model) and set timer for 5 minutes
Once the cooking time is complete, allow about a 10 minute Natural Pressure Release (if you want to eat sooner, up the cook time by a minute or two depending on the size of squash)
Remove acorn squash from pressure cooker to a plate or bowl and serve either in the shell or scrape with a fork into a bowl
If you didn’t season before cooking, add your favorite toppings at the table
My favorite way to cook acorn squash is to sprinkle a little sea salt on them before placing in the pressure cooker. I don’t add anything else because they don’t normally sit level and most of the goodies spill out. Also if cooking more than one, there is no way to have them bowl side up (2 squash fit nicely on their sides).
I place them on a platter and offer with butter, brown sugar, raw sugar, nuts, and anything else I have on hand that I think the little ones might like to use to get them to eat it. Mine gets a little more salt and some pepper…that’s it. These are wonderful products to eat.
What is your favorite way to enjoy acorn squash?
Let's go shopping. Here are a couple of my go to items I use when making this dish. These can all be purchased on Amazon and yes the links below are affiliate links. Thanks for your continued support of Simply Sherryl.
This is one of my favorite pressure cookers. It is so simple to use and comes with so many features.
This lid is a great thing to have for those times you want to use your pressure cooker to cook or keep warm. You don't always need the locking lid.
This is a nice collection of simple recipes to get you started on your path of pressure cooking.
Gotta protect those fingers! Lifting the liner out of the pressure cooker requires using just your fingertips. These slip on mitts help protect your fingers from getting burned and they help you hold on to the liner better.
No need to mess up another dish if you have left overs. Just place this silicone lid on top and place it in the fridge. Which also means that having more than one liner is something to think about!
I halved and put the acorn squash in the pressure cooker with 3/4 c water for 5 minutes after pressurized. Then roasted it in 400 degree oven with a pat of butter and McCormick’s Mexican Seasoning. It was really good. Some chorizo and cheddar would have been a great topping.
This sounds like a yummy recipe!
I have a question. buttercup squash and acorn squash are a lot alike. Can I cook the buttercup squash in the pressure cooker like you can an acorn squash? Thanks.
Thank you, I’m going to try cooking one in my pressure cooker tomorrow. I would like to receive your newsletter too. I have an XL power pressure cooker and wih I had gone with an instapot!
I’ve never tried acorn squash but this sounds delish.
Although I don’t have it often I really like acorn squash
Wow, I never thought to use the pressure cooker to cook acorn squash. I rarely cook it because it takes so long in the oven. Thanks for the heads up! I love acorn squash, butternut squash too 🙂
I love my pressure cooker but haven’t used it much as I’m not sure what to do with it. Recently I heard, that veggies are the easiest to make for dinner. I can see that with your recipe for acorn squash! I’m so impressed how fast this works.
Once you start using it, you will look for ways to use it every day. Love making hard boiled eggs in it every morning. My favorite thing is ribs. Fall off the bone in 30 mins.
I love squash, all kinds. Yummy. I need to get a pressure cooker so I can try speeding up the process. We don’t have a microwave.
Cool
This looks liike a delicious acorn squash.