roasted butternut squash with brown sugar bacon + some leftover inspiration

I have a tendency to over do it when it comes to butternut squash.

No matter how I look at it (literally), I can never estimate how much I’m going to need. How many pounds in this thing again? So I grab a bunch and hope for the best. And what started out as an innocent pan roast turned into something more than I bargained for; 3 delicious meals.

The original plan was to roast the squash with lots of fragrant herbs like rosemary and sage. Love that combination with smoky bacon. If you can get your hands on some Applewood smoked bacon, go for it. Lashings of maple syrup and Dijon mustard followed, with a sprinkle of brown sugar on top. I served it alongside a roast pork tenderloin for my carnivorous boys.

Our leftovers gave way to some freestyle creations. The first was a warm spinach salad served with our favorite dressing. We fought over the bacon…

And then we made soup.

I pureed the leftover squash with chicken stock, reserving the bacon and sage leaves for garnish. You could also roast the seeds, as I did here, and top with yogurt or crème frâiche.

I’ve only included the original roasted squash recipe as it’s the mothership for all three. The salad and soup are simply ideas that can be adapted to your liking based on how much you have leftover. Not bad for one pan, eh? Enjoy!

Tips:

• The biggest mistake when roasting butternut squash is to overcrowd the pan. Overcrowding will cause the squash to steam rather than caramelize, thus creating extra moisture. To avoid this, use a very large roasting pan/tray and spread out the squash evenly in one single layer. None of the pieces should be touching, and ample space in between is ideal.
• Peeling your butternut squash is optional (I skip it!) When roasted, the skin gets incredibly soft and is edible. It adds a nice textural element as well.

roasted butternut squash with brown sugar bacon + some leftover ideas

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• Author: The Clever Carrot
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Yield: 6 1x

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Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash (about 4 cups)
• 4-6 slices of bacon (depending on your preference)
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 4 sprigs of sage leaves
• 2 tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 heaped tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar, divided
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 F.
2. Cut the butternut squash into 1 1/2 inch cubes (peeled or un-peeled). Reserve the seeds if you’d like to roast them.
3. Stack the bacon slices on top of each other, and cut into 4 chunks. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl combine the maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and 1 tbsp. of brown sugar.
5. Add the butternut squash to a large roasting pan. Make sure that the squash is spread out evenly, in one single layer. Do not overcrowd the pan. *See note below.
6. Drizzle the squash with olive oil to coat.
7. Pour the maple syrup mixture over the squash, and toss together with your hands. It may seem a bit dry, this is ok. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Add the rosemary and sage sprigs.
9. Separate the bacon slices and drape them over the squash.
10. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tbsp. of brown sugar on top of the bacon.
11. Bake, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender and begins to caramelize about 30-40 minutes.
12. Heat under the broiler for a couple of seconds to crisp up the bacon. Make sure it doesn’t burn!
13. Serve warm.

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Notes

*The biggest mistake when roasting butternut squash is to overcrowd the pan. Overcrowding will cause the squash to steam rather than caramelize, thus creating extra moisture. To avoid this, use a very large roasting pan/tray and spread out the squash evenly in one single layer. None of the pieces should be touching, and ample space in between is ideal.