Baked Spiced Butternut Squash

Butter Up to Butternut -- Butternut squash is packed with cancer-fighting power you can see. Butternut's deep orange color comes from beta-carotene, the carotenoid that helps your body fight the effects of cell-damaging free radicals, which potentially could lead to cancer.

Serves 8-10
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup apple juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp salt
3 small butternut squash, peeled and cut in half lengthwise, seeded and cut crosswise into 1/3-inch thick slices
4 6-oz Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Stir butter, maple syrup and apple juice in a small saucepan over medium low heat until butter melts. Increase heat and boil until mixture is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in cinnamon, allspice and salt.

Arrange 1/3 of the squash slices in prepared dish. Top with half the apple slices, then 1/3 of squash slices. Arrange remaining slices of squash and apple on top, alternating and slightly overlapping slices. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Pour maple syrup mixture over squash and apples. Cover dish tightly with foil.

Bake until squash is almost tender, about 50 minutes. Uncover and bake until squash is tender, basting occasionally with syrup, about 20 minutes longer.