Cheesy Dinner Muffins w/Butternut Squash

So that's a pretty long title for such a small, easy little recipe but, really, it could have been worse. These are actually more like, "Savory, Cheesy, Butternut Squash Muffins with Whole Wheat and Flax" but that length seemed even more ridiculous. The point is, these little guys are not only yummy, they are also pretty healthy.

I made them to go with my favorite Roasted Chicken Soup (more on that another time) on a very snowy night. It had been a loooong day at the T~L~S~E house. My poor little monkey had been snuffly, coughy and weepy all day and I could feel my own nose growing more clogged by the minute. I was *this* close to giving up on making dinner in favor of ordering take-out. Then I realized that the most nurturing thing I could do for both myself and for my family was take the time to craft a hearty, healthy, warming meal to fill our bellies and soothe our sneezes.

The chicken soup is one I've made enough times that I was able to throw it together with one hand while attending to my grumpy girl with the other. And muffins are the perfect quick bread when you don't have time, extra hands or half a brain left after a long day. They don't even require a mixer! After searching my favorite cookbooks for a decent savory muffin recipe and coming up empty-handed I decided to use what I had in the fridge (leftover roasted butternut squash + shredded cheese) and pantry (whole wheat flour, etc.) to create my own.

The basic ingredients for any muffin are few...flour, seasoning, baking soda, liquid, fat and eggs (sugar if you're making them sweet). After that all you need is two bowls, a spoon, some muffin tins and a hot oven and you have fresh bread to dip in your hot soup...or to warm your tummy while you wait for the soup to cool. :)
*Try to eat these lovelies while they are still warm. If you're feeling extra indulgent, split one in half and allow a tiny pat of butter to melt into each side.
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup AP flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup pureed butternut squash
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup ground flax
• 1 cup shredded cheese (gruyere would be amazing but I used sharp cheddar)

DIRECTIONS:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2) Sift or whisk first four (dry) ingredients together into a large bowl.
3) Stir in grated cheese.
3) Whisk egg, oil, squash, milk and ground flax.
4) Lightly whisk wet ingredients into dry until just combined. Do not over mix.
5) Divide batter equally into 12 greased (or lined) muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes or until very lightly browned. Enjoy warm and store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container.