Twice Baked Butternut Squash with Cashew Cheese, Walnuts, and Cranberries

FOR THE CASHEW CHEESE:

• ½ cup cashews
• 1 pound firm tofu
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon tahini

FOR THE TWICE-BAKED SQUASH:

• 4 small butternut squash
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup parsley leaves, chopped

1. Place cashews in a bowl and cover with cool water. Cover and soak in the fridge overnight. Drain the cashews and combine with remaining ingredients in a blender. Purée until completely smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides of the blender to create a consistently smooth cheese.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds and stringy bits from around the seeds and discard. Place the squash halves in a large roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Pour a quarter-inch of water into the pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes, until the squash are easily pierced with a fork.
3. Carefully remove squash from oven and allow to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh, leaving the skin intact. Place the scooped squash in a mixing bowl and mash. Mix in half of the chopped walnuts and half the dried cranberries, cinnamon, nutmeg and cashew cheese. Divide the mixture among the butternut squash halves.
4. In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs, parsley and the rest of the walnuts and cranberries. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top of the butternut squash halves and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Serve warm.

Check out the rest of our Friendsgiving recipes here.