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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

Ingredients

  • 1 large butternut squash (about 4 cups)
  • 46 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

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.

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.