That’s a mouth full. I hate shortening my titles for my recipes, but I did. I didn’t talk about the cinnamon or salt in the recipe. Anywho, Thanksgiving is on the way, so this week will be filled with recipes to help you eat paleo through the holidays. Yayyyy!
If you’ve done paleo before during a holiday or party and are a legit foodie, you know that it can be ultra annoying to be at parties and not be able to eat everything that’s there. And when I say “not be able to eat everything that’s there” I mean you’re having an internal battle on whether or not you should eat that piece of pumpkin, blueberry AND apple pie, along with the 6 different dips that are paired with chips and crackers. You know what I’m saying if you’re a foodie for life. You’re acting like you’re listening to the conversations around you, but you’re actually just thinking about the dessert table and if you should just have a taste. Just a fork full. Even though you know that the fork full will turn into a whirlwind of pounding food without even know what you’re consuming, you just know if has frosting on it. And that’s really all you care about because you haven’t had frosting in months, maybe even years. If you act like you’ve never been there, you don’t love food near as much as me. Because that was me at a party the other night. And I gave in. Frosted pumpkin squares?? Eff me.
I didn’t have my best eating choices over the weekend. I think some people think that since I create paleo recipes that I will never ever ever fall off the wagon. Which isn’t totally true. I have my moments. Life is all about living, but it’s also making the best decicions you can in certain situations. Sometimes you don’t get to choose where you get to eat while traveling. You’re at other people’s disposal when it comes to food choices. So I did my best. Then not my best. Then my best once again at the airport. Eating at airports is my least favorite. Except when I got to eat at Root Down at DIA and had a burger with sweet potato fries and a bloody mary. Made me feel like I wasn’t even in an airport, which I love. Either way, I don’t feel my best but I’m back home and back on the track that I want to be on.
I just watched a woman stuff an incredibly greasy burger king bag into her purse. It creeped me out. Which is odd since I’m pretty much a huge grease ball after what I shoved in my face over the weekend. Call me butterball. Do it.
Thanksgiving Side Dish: Maple Bacon Pecan Roasted Butternut Squash
- Yield: 4-5 1x
Ingredients
- 6–8 pieces of bacon
- 5 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash (640 grams)
- 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped (100 grams)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (70 grams)
- 2–3 tablespoons bacon fat (rendered from cooking bacon)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4–1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Place strips of bacon on a foil lined baking sheet
- Cook bacon for 20 minutes. Bacon should still be slightly soft (not crispy) when you pull it out of the oven. Remove from baking sheet to cool on a paper towel lined plate. Chop bacon into small pieces once cooled. Place the rendered bacon fat in a large bowl.
- Add the cubed butternut squash, pecans, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt to the large bowl with the bacon fat.
- Mix together to coat the squash well. Add pieces of bacon to the mixture and mix well.
- Add mixture to a 9×11 glass baking dish.
- Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.
- Place dish in the oven to bake for 35-40 minutes (depending on size of cubed butternut squash) or until squash is soft.
- Serve immediately.
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More Sweet Sides:
Last Minute Thanksgiving Smashed Maple Sweet Potatoes
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I made this tonight and it was fab!!! My 12 year old loved it!!!!
Never comment but laugh hysterically & religiously at all posts and all ridiculous comments on instagram. However this is for sure happening at thanksgiving. Thanks!
This recipe looks amazing! I can’t wait to make it! Question though, I was going to make this for a potluck at work that we are having on Friday. Do you think this will reheat well the next day or do you have any tips for re-heating for the potluck?
Thanks!!
it should be fine reheated the next day
Could you sub frozen butternut squash?
yep, just defrost and not cook as long
That will make my life sooooo much easier. I dread deconstructing a butternut squash!
So I’m still enough of a kid that I’ve never helped make anything for Thanksgiving, except for a green salad (My mother-in-law handed me two bags of the Dole stuff last year and asked me to put it in a bowl with some cheese and toss it…and then made sure everyone raved about the salad I made at dinner. Ha.) And when I asked this year what to bring for Thanksgiving, I again got a “Just bring yourself!” But I’m going to try this one out on Wednesday. It sounds amazing.
Can I use walnuts,instead of pecan?
Yes
Totally making this for Thanksgiving!
do you cook squash first?
no
What about acorn squash? Do you think that would work just as well or is it stringier than butternut? No one wants stringy squash! Thanks!
Yep that would work too!
Prob a silly question but I usually am by the book with recipes. But I would like to add some cubed pieces of sweet potato. How many do you think I should add and would the cooking time remain the same? Skin/no skin?
however many sweet potatoes you want, not sure how much you wanted to add. cooking time would still be the same if it’s the same amount as the recipe. and you can do skin or no skin