Chili-Dusted Butternut Squash ‘Fries’

These ‘fries’ will satisfy the diner junkie in you with a crispy-crunchy outside and a sweet-and-tender inside.  Experiment with different seasoning blends, subbing pumpkin pie spice or Italian seasoning for the chili powder. Cooking spray to oil pan

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash, about 1.5–2 pounds
1 egg white
1/4 cup corn flake crumbs
1 teaspoon chili powder (no salt added)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Cut off the long ‘neck’ of the butternut squash. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the skin off the squash.  Slice the squash crosswise into 1/2'' slices and then slice each slice into 1/2'' sticks.

Beat egg white until soft peaks form. 

Mix the corn flake crumbs, chili powder and salt in a shallow bowl or a large resealable bag. 

Toss the squash sticks with the egg whites to coat, and then toss them together with the corn flake crumb mixture. If you are using a resealable bag, simply shake the bag to coat the squash with the crumbs. 

Arrange the coated squash sticks on the oiled baking sheet and spray lightly with more cooking spray.

Bake until crisped and browned and squash is tender, about 25–30 minutes. Turn them with a spatula half way through the baking time. 

Serve warm with a sprinkle of apple cider vinegar or a simple sauce made with Greek yogurt and salsa. Serves 4.