The bright orange flesh of a butternut squash is firm and the skin is tough and thick, like a hard plastic. We've had some success using a sturdy vegetable peeler, but if you have a sharp knife and a plan, butternut squash prep can be pretty easy.

To start, cut off and discard the stem end.
Cut the butternut squash in two at the intersection of the cylindrical neck and the round base.
Peel the skin from the neck: If the skin is too thick to peel with a vegetable peeler, try standing the neck on a flat end and slicing downward around the squash with a paring knife. (If the neck is really long, cut into two shorter pieces before doing this.)
Peel the round base in the same way.
When you've peeled the base, split it in half or into quarters lengthwise.
Using a spoon, scrape to remove the seeds and fibrous flesh.
Now you can cut the peeled and seeded squash into whatever size pieces you need.