Foil-Wrapped Grilled Butternut Squash with Sage

Ingredients

• 6 cups butternut squash cubes
• 2 T olive oil
• 30 large sage leaves, thinly sliced crosswise
• 2 tsp. Spike Seasoning
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 3 T butter to season at the end
• Sea Salt or salt to taste, to season at the end

Directions

1. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high, or set the oven to 450F/230C. Rinse the sage leaves if they need it, dry them well, and slice them crosswise into fine ribbons. Rinse the squash if needed, trim away the stem and blossom ends, and split it lengthwise. Use a sharp vegetable peeler to remove the skin, scoop out the seeds and stringy center with a sharp spoon, and cut the squash into 1 1/2 inches square cubes.
2. Transfer the squash to a large bowl. Add the olive oil, sage, Spike Seasoning if you’re using it, and black pepper, then toss until the cubes are evenly coated with oil.
3. Cut the foil into 4 sheets, each about 15-18 inches long. Layer 2 sheets of foil together, then coat the inside of the upper sheet with nonstick spray or a light mist of olive oil. Add half the squash to the top sheet and spread it out in a flat layer. Bring the foil sides up, fold the top edges together to seal the packet, and tuck in the ends. Do the same with the remaining foil and squash, crimping the outside layer securely several times at the ends.
4. Place the foil packets on the heated grill or in the oven. If grilling, turn the packets every 5 minutes; if baking, turn them every 10 minutes. Open one packet carefully after 20 minutes on the grill, or check the oven version after 25 minutes, watching out for the hot steam.
5. Grilled squash should take about 25 minutes, while the oven version will likely need a little more time. It is ready when the squash is tender and the edges are starting to brown.
6. If you want the butter, toss it with the hot squash, then season with sea salt. Serve hot. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for a few days and can be warmed in the microwave or in a pan on the stove.