Roasted Butternut Squash

I love squash. Like, really, really love it. I think it is among the most perfect foods in the world. So of course I make it and then forget it in the fridge for Thanksgiving. Don’t worry, it was eaten with the leftovers, but still, I’m a bit sad it didn’t get to sit with all the other dishes I made. Especially since it was the only actually healthy, vegan dish I made that night.

In any case, this is really easy and would work for any fall/winter meal. I highly recommend it. The original (here) has notes about adjusting amounts to the size of your squash.

Roasted Butternut Squash from kblog.lunchboxbrunch.com:

Makes 3-4 cups

1 medium butternut squash
2 Tb. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tb. maple syrup
1 Tb. apple cider vinegar
1 orange, juiced (I didn’t have any left, so it became ½ c. oj)
Fresh sage leaves (I grabbed 6-7 off of my plant)
Generous sprinkle of fresh black pepper
Sprinkling of sea salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Prep whole butternut squash by slicing in halves or quarters and removing seeds.

Drizzle a bit of olive oil in the bottom of a large casserole dish. Tear a few sage leaves and place them in the bottom of the dish as well. Place squash halves in dish, flesh side up. Mine were squash quarters, but it still works.

Drizzle orange juice over top of the squash. Drizzle about maple syrup, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar over squash. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top of the squash. Not all of the liquid will be absorbed by the squash, but rather it is used as a heating liquid and flavor-adding ingredient in the bottom of the pan. Flip halves (or quarters) flesh side down to soak up the liquid.

Cover dish lightly with foil. Place in oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, turn oven to broil and baste it in a bit more of the sauce sitting in the pan. Here I turned the quarters over so that the other side could absorb more juice. Broil on high for 5-7 minutes, or until top starts to caramelize. Watch it closely.



Remove squash. It should be tender and easily breakable with a fork. Allow whole squash halves to cool 15 minutes before scooping or slicing out the flesh. Serve in a bowl with a drizzle of the baking juices. Garnish with fresh sage leaves and pepper.

Seriously, so tasty. I made this early on Thursday, so that’s probably why I forgot it. Oh well, I still got to enjoy it! Also, sorry about the smudge in the edge of the picture. Didn't notice it until now, so most of the following posts will have that weird smudge in the corner. Apparently I shouldn't take pictures while cooking.