My family also loves anything with maple syrup or brown sugar. I baked our acorn squash very simply in the same oven as the chicken breasts I was baking. Your family might like acorn squash cooked as I did, since I used brown sugar too. Here is how I did it:
Baked Acorn Squash
2 acorn squash
4 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of brown sugar
Split each squash in half. Empty out the centers of the squash including the seeds, setting aside the centers so I you can pull out the seeds and roast them later. I used one tablespoon of butter on each half of the squash rubbing it on evey bit of the orange surface of the squash and leaving what butter was left inside the center cavity of the squash. I then sprinkled one tablespoon of brown sugar over the squash with any extra put in the center cavity on top of the extra butter. (It makes about a tablespoon of buttery brown sugar sauce to flavor the squash as you eat it.) I baked them in the oven until they were tender. (I use a fork to test them and if it slides right in, then they are done.) I baked everything at 350 degrees, but I have baked squash at a little higher temp or a little lower temp when I was cooking something else in the oven that needed a different temperature. Serves 4
The same method can be used for danish or butternut squash as well.
We haven’t had any butternut squash yet this year, but last year I roasted those seeds as well and my family loved them. I am guessing that the seeds from just about any winter squash can be roasted or dry roasted as I did today with the seeds from the acorn squash.
I think I actually like the dry roasting method the best if I am going to use them on salads or eat them plain as a snack, plus they are lower in calories! They seem to have more of a crunch that way and aren’t greasy at all. The ones I made today were excellent. There just weren’t enough of them! They were gone within minutes of me pulling them out of the oven. They barely had a chance to even start cooling before everyone started munching on them. I guess we are going to have to eat a lot of squash this fall, just so I can keep roasting the seeds for the family!
I just bought a large quantity of boneless country style ribs yesterday at the grocery store since they were on sale yesterday. I broke up the packages into batches of ribs appropriate for my family and threw them in the freezer. Usually we either cook them on the BBQ or in the oven and I just salt and pepper them and then baste them with BBQ sauce during the last of their cooking time. I think I might try your dry rub method as I know my family would love them cooked with brown sugar. I picked up some more acorn squash at the store as well, so I might cook them along with the ribs later this week. The two would go well together.
I pretty much do the same thing with Acorn Squash - the butter and brown sugar - I like to add a dash/hint of cinnamon and I cover the tops with foil to seal... then into the oven on a cookie sheet.
If I’m running late with supper or don’t need the oven on for other things -I’ll nuke the halves for a bit to get them going and then into the oven with the butter,etc.