Squash Fritters with Cheddar

How was everyone’s Halloween? Ours was fantastic! This was the first year in our house for the ghostly holiday and we had no idea what to expect. Evan bought a ton of candy I was sure we were going to be stuck with for months, but we gave it all away! I handed out the last few pieces right around 8 o’clock when official trick-or-treating time came to end. As I turned off the light, blew out the candles and gathered our things to head inside, I had to turn away a couple of kids. I have no idea exactly how many little goblins and princesses we saw, but somewhere in the 75-100 range!

The end of October meant the end of our weekly CSA packages. We loaded up on root veggies and other hardy treats, like squash, in our last box. I’ve had acorn squash, spaghetti squash and butternut squash, but wanted to try something new. Have you tried delicata squash?

I can’t say that it tastes much different from other squash varieties I’ve had, but unlike others, its rind is soft and can be eaten. It’s delicate, as the name suggests. While you can eat the rind, for this particular recipe we will remove it.

Start by peeling one delicata squash. Cut it in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. You can shred the squash by hand using a box grater, but I recommend using a food processor. Add 1-1/2 cups shredded squash along with 1/4 cup whole milk, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup gluten-free flour (regular flour works too if you aren’t gluten-free), 1/4 grated parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and a dash each of salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.

Stir to combine well. Add a hefty spoonful of oil to a skillet and heat over medium. When hot, spoon in 1/4 cup sized portions of the batter. Depending on your skillet size, you should be able to fit 3 or 4 to a batch.

Fry 2-3 minutes or until bottoms are nice and crisp. Flip and repeat on the other side.

Transfer the fritters to a paper towel covered plate while you continue cooking more batches. Add more oil for frying if needed.

Serve warm as a side dish or a savory appetizer! Dress them up with some spicy pepper jelly or sour cream and chives. However you decide to eat them, enjoy!

*Adapted from Fearless Dining