An easy butternut squash recipe featuring a power greens salad with roasted butternut squash, apples, bacon, pecans, goat cheese with a warm bacon-raspberry vinaigrette.
There are times when I’ve really got it all together. Times, when the week is all perfectly planned out, and I know what each day will entail. The weekly menu for breakfasts, the kid’s lunches, and family dinners are set in stone. I go to the grocery store with a list, and I actually stick to it.
Then there are most weeks. The kind of weeks in which I’m just lucky to fit it all in. Period. The meal planning is impromptu, and a trip to the grocery store is completely unscripted. And, as surprising as this may sound, it is usually this kind of week that leads to my favorite recipe creations.
Rather than making a b-line for specifics in the grocery store, I actually get to take a moment to stop and think about my surroundings. One of my favorite place to do this? The produce section. So many colors, so many options…so many possibilities.
As a busy wife and mom, I’ve really come to love the “prepped vegetables” section of the grocery store. No more snapping green beans or peeling leaves from Brussels sprouts in a pinch for this gal.
The newest easy addition to our vegetation line up inspired by spontaneity? Butternut squash. Already peeled, already diced, butternut squash. Yes, please.
Having the squash already prepped for cooking is a dinnertime game-changer, and I can roast it up quick and easy as a vegetable side dish. However, my new favorite use for these cubed little gems actually grants the squash a starring role -- Roasted butternut squash over power greens, with apples, pecans, goat cheese, and a warm bacon-raspberry vinaigrette.
Now, if that doesn't make you want to eat a salad, I don't know what will.
However, before we can throw the salad together, we first must roast the butternut squash.
HOW TO ROAST CUBED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
HOW LONG TO ROAST BUTTERNUT SQUASH
The first thing to keep in mind is the size of the squash. For instance, if you were to roast a whole butternut squash, the time spent in the oven would be significantly longer than peeled and diced butternut squash.
The butternut squash I purchased from the grocery store had already been prepared for me, and cut into a ½" dice. Because the squash is diced so small, it doesn't take long to roast in the oven at all -- only 16 minutes to be exact.
If you were to prepare the squash yourself and ended up with larger cubes, you would likely need to tac a little more time onto the roasting process.
WHAT TEMPERATURE TO ROAST BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Butternut squash contains a decent amount of natural sugars, so we don't want to go too high when it comes to temperature, or it will likely burn before it cooks all the way through.
Another factor to take into consideration when it comes to roasting butternut squash is oil. You want to coat the squash with an oil that has a fairly high smoke point. This will prevent the squash from cooking on the outside too quickly, and ultimately burning.
The best temperature and oil combination I've found for roasting butternut squash is to cook the squash at 400°, coated with canola oil (or another oil with a smoke point of 400° or higher).
OTHER TIPS FOR ROASTING CUBED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
The last thing to keep in mind while roasting butternut squash is to allow for even cooking all around. To do this, you'll simply need to toss the butternut squash cubes half-way through the cooking process.
Remember, roasting butternut squash brings out the natural sugars within. Sugar is sticky when hot. Therefore, roasting the squash on a rimmed sheet pan, lined with nonstick aluminum foil will help prevent the squash from sticking.
ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SALAD
Butternut squash is hearty and sweet, meaning it can stand up to a powerful, bitter green. No problem. What a great time to pull in nutrient-packed, strongly flavored greens like kale and arugula! For this salad, you could use either of those. Or, do like I did, and grab a prepackaged, already "rinsed and dried" mix of power greens from the produce section.
Another note of sweetness couldn't possibly hurt. Apples made a crispy and vibrant contribution to both the flavor and texture of the salad. For a little more acidity and tang, goat cheese. Pecans for crunch, and just to make it over-the-top, decadently delicious -- pan-seared bacon.
But, wait. It gets even better, folks. That pan-seared bacon? We are going to use a smidge of those leftover drippings to make an easy, warm bacon-raspberry vinaigrette. And now, we are officially sold. Please, enjoy.
An easy butternut squash recipe featuring a power greens salad with roasted butternut squash, apples, bacon, pecans, goat cheese with a warm bacon-raspberry vinaigrette.
- 1 (10 ounce) package diced butternut squash see notes for alternative measurements
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
- 1 (10 ounce) package pre-washed baby kale, baby arugula, or mixed power greens
- 1 tart, crisp red apple, thinly sliced such as Honeycrisp, Jazz, or Pink Lady
- 2 ounces crumbled goat cheese
- ¾ cup pecan halves
- 4 teaspoons bacon drippings
- 1 tablespoon grade-A pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon raspberry jam
- Generous pinch Kosher salt
- Scant pinch black pepper
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
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Preheat the oven to 400° and have ready a rimmed baking sheet lined with nonstick aluminum foil.
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Add the squash to the pan, drizzle with canola oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine, and spread out the squash evenly across the baking sheet.
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Bake for 16 minutes, tossing the squash about half-way through the cooking process.
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While the squash is roasting, cook the bacon. Add the bacon to a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, or until crisp.
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With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside until ready to use. Do not discard the grease.
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To assemble the salad, add greens, roasted squash, bacon, apple slices, goat cheese, and pecans to a large bowl, and set aside while you make the dressing.
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In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the bacon drippings, maple syrup, vinegar, raspberry jam, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the canola oil, whisking all the while.
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Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serve and enjoy.
If you cannot find pre-diced butternut squash in the produce section of your grocery store, or just prefer to do it yourself, use 1 ½ - 2 cups of butternut squash, diced into ½" cubes.
