Savory Butternut Parmesan Muffins

I made up another small batch of savory muffins to go with our dinner one night this week. These butternut muffins with herbs and a little parmesan and cheddar were a wonderfully flavored side and matched well with our rosemary and garlic pan-fried lamb steaks, roasted cauliflower, and roasted brussels sprouts with garlic and walnuts. I had leftover roasted butternut squash from a couple of nights ago, which made these very easy to throw together,  just stuck them into the oven in the last 20 minutes of roasting the cauliflower and brussels sprouts.  

savory muffins full of roasted butternut squash, herbs,
 a little parmesan & cheddar cheese

Like the savory pepper cheddar oat muffins I posted last week, these butternut beauties are a fairly quick way to get a little homemade something on the table, even on busy nights. I remember coming home from school after late practices, starving, and realizing that mom had a batch of savory muffins in the oven to go with dinner. The smell of homemade bread of any sort baking in the oven is amazing, but I always liked muffins best.

packed with flavorful vegetables & topped with cheese = ideal savory muffin 

You could doctor these to suit whatever you have on hand, some chopped feta instead of cheddar and parmesan would be good, and rough chopped spinach stirred through would add some nice color. A little chopped bacon or prosciutto would also be amazing here--slightly sweet pumpkin always pairs well with salty cured meat. We can usually find prosciutto cured only with salt (no preservatives) in most grocery stores and delis-- try to use this instead of anything cured with sodium nitrate or sodium nitrite. The combination of half wholewheat and half wholegrain spelt flours worked beautifully, but feel free to experiment with your favorite flours.

There are only a couple of muffins in these photos because we ate the rest before I had a chance to pull out the camera... hope you get a chance to whip some up soon, then watch them disappear just as quickly as you made them!

Savory Butternut Parmesan Muffins

makes 6 muffins (double recipe for 12 muffins)

1/3 cup mashed, cooked butternut squash (or other pumpkin)

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

2 tablespoons oil (I used extra virgin olive oil)

1 tablespoon finely grated parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons finely grated cheddar (divided use)

1 cup flour (I used half whole wheat and half wholegrain spelt flour)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of freshly ground sea salt

pinch of freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat oven to 190C / 375F. Prepare a muffin tray (use paper liners sprayed with a little oil, or generously oil and flour the muffin cups directly).

In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed butternut, milk, egg, and oil. Add the parmesan and 2 tablespoons of the cheddar cheese, whisk well. Scatter the dry ingredients evenly over the butternut mixture. Mix just until combined (avoid overmixing to ensure a soft crumb).

Spoon the batter into the muffin tray, distributing evenly amongst 6 muffin cups. Sprinkle the top of the muffins with the remaining tablespoon of cheddar cheese. Bake at 190C / 375F for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean and the tops are beginning to turn golden brown. Serve warm. 

Will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days.