When I’m in the mood for a guilty pleasure but don’t want to bust my diet, one of my favorite go-to sides are fries made out of my favorite potato or squash. Opting to bake these fries rather than fry them makes them a much healthier option than the traditional fries many of us grew up loving. I try only to make these about once a week, opting for more greens as my family’s sides on a regular basis, but these give us the taste of splurging without being too unhealthy. My latest experiment with butternut squash resulted in this…

Rosemary Garlic Butternut Squash Fries

2-3 lbs Butternut Squash

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 tsp Rosemary

¼ tsp Garlic Salt

¼ tsp Pepper

No Calorie Cooking Spray

Directions:

1. Peel squash and slice off the ends. Cut in half widthwise, just above the round section. Cut the round piece in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.

2. Cut squash into French-fry-shaped spears. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine olive oil, rosemary, garlic salt, and pepper. Pour in fries and, using hands, toss fries gently around in mixture until all fries are thoroughly coated.

4. Spray 1-2 baking sheets with cooking spray (you will need to be able to lay all fries flat on baking sheet so how many you need will depend on how much squash you have cut up). Lay spears on baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

5. Flip spears and bake until mostly tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, another 20 minutes.

6. Serve with your favorite lean protein or wrap. They are great dipped into plain or vanilla Greek yogurt.

Serves 4-6