Acorn Squash Boats with Brown Sugar (Vegan)

This is my version of the acorn squash boats my Mom used to make when I was growing up. She used margarine or butter with the brown sugar, and I always made sure I got the one with the most sugar. This was my favorite vegetable side dish as a kid. Since we don't use butter or margarine at my house, my version of the squash boats have olive oil and salt instead. We love this side dish, especially Sam. As Sam gets older, she's eating more of the squash with the brown sugar, which is nice.

Acorn Squash Boats with Brown Sugar Recipe

Acorn squash - however many you want to make
1 tbsp olive oil per squash half
Salt
1 heaping tbsp brown sugar per squash half

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put 1/4 inch of water in the bottom of a rectangular 9x12 pan. Cut the squash in half from the stem to the bottom. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and pulp from the middle of the squash halves. Place them in the pan shell side up, and the flat parts on the bottom. Cover the pan with a large piece of aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

After removing the pan from the oven, be very careful taking the aluminum foil off as a bunch of hot steam will be released from the pan. Drain out the water and use a fork to help you turn the squash halves right side up (they will be very hot). Put 1 tbsp olive oil and a dash of salt in each half. Follow the olive oil and salt with 1 heaping tbsp of brown sugar in each half. Place the uncovered pan back in the oven for 5 more minutes. When done, use a spoon to gently mix the brown sugar and olive oil together in the squash half, and serve the squash with a spoon to eat it with. Serve one squash half per person. When you eat it, be sure to spread the sugar around to have some with each bite of squash.