Call it what it is, right? Butternut squash, apple and bacon combine for this outrageously autumny side to pork or chicken. And bonus: You'll have roasted squash leftover.
Ingredients
1 butternut squash
1 large red apple (not a Red Delicious, but something with more flavor and bite -- like a Honeycrisp or Gala)
Salt
Black pepper
3 strips bacon
1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Olive oil
Preparation & Cooking
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Peel the butternut squash and cut off the stem and bottom (the woody parts). Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and guts with a spoon (discard). Cut the squash into 1-inch cubes.
- Place squash in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Turn out the squash into an even layer on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper.
- Roast in the 400 oven for 30 minutes, until tender when poked with a fork.
- While squash is roasting, core your apple and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I like to leave the skin on).
- Chop your bacon into about 1/4-inch chunks.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon and wipe out excess grease from the pan with a paper towel. Keep the bacon in the pan.
- Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the apple pieces to the pan and cook about 8-10 minutes until starting to soften (poke with a fork to test).
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- When squash is roasted, add about two heaping cups of the squash cubes to the apple-bacon pan and stir carefully to combine.
- Drizzle with maple syrup and sprinkle with cinnamon. Stir carefully, again, to mix.
- Empty out the pan into a casserole or serving dish. Sprinkle with rosemary.
- (If you prefer a more golden-brown color to your dish, pop it in the oven on a middle rack under HIGH broil for a couple of minutes.)
Serving
I would serve this as a main dish! But for those who want a little more protein in their diet, it's a wonderful side for roasted (or rotisserie) chicken, a pork tenderloin or pork chops. The ingredients here -- especially the apple and cinnamon -- combine for a great-big mouthful of autumn.
A Little Backstory
I think people think they hate squash ... but they've never had it. Or they've had it prepared badly. Besides being delicious, butternut squash is healthy (vitamin E, more potassium than a banana, etc.). And versatile! A great potato substitute. An amazing base for everything from soup to pizza crust. At the risk of sounding like your mother, how do you KNOW you don't like it unless you try it?
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