The fall is definitely my favorite time of the year for produce. Sure, I love tomatoes and peppers in the summer. But, what really gets me excited is colder weather produce… Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and especially squash and apples.
I’m not too picky when it comes to squash… I love pumpkin, but I also really enjoy butternut squash. One of my husband’s favorite butternut squash recipes is creamy butternut soup. And, I like it too. But, I find that I tire quickly of the pureed texture of soup. I like food that I can chew!
So, lately, I’ve been opting to roast the squash. It’s great alone, but I especially love it combined with apples. Last week when I roasted it, I knew that I wanted to toss it on a salad with some gorgonzola cheese. Since I love something a little sweet with salty gorgonzola, I added some maple syrup and warm spices to the squash and apples before I roasted them… Just enough to add some extra flavor without going overboard!
You can enjoy the roasted squash and apples alone as a side dish (and I think it would make a lovely side dish for Thanksgiving or a nice fall dinner), but I especially loved it on a salad with some gorgonzola, walnuts, and a quick vinaigrette. Either way, it’s packed with fall flavor. What could be wrong with that?
Spiced Maple Roasted Apples and Squash
(Makes 2-4 servings)
- 2 apples
- 1 small butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch of Kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
While the oven is preheating, core the apples and cut the apples into bite-sized pieces (I prefer to leave the apple skin on). Peel the butternut squash, discard the seeds, and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Combine the apples and squash in a mixing bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and maple syrup. Sprinkle the cinnamon and ginger on top and add a pinch of Kosher salt. Toss to evenly coat the squash and apples.
Transfer the squash and apples to a baking sheet and roast for about 45 minutes. Serve immediately.
Jen, it never occurred to me to roast apples with squash but it makes perfect sense and sounds divine.
Love the addition of gorgonzola – I can just taste the nice balance of the tang with the sweet apples & squash.
Oooh, this sounds fantastic! Especially on top of a salad – I did that with sweet potatoes and I loved it :) Can’t wait to try these!
Oh yum! I can’t wait to make this one!
I like food I can chew too, maybe that’s why I LOVE salad. I can chew and chew and chew MOUNDS of it. And a salad like this, count me in!
Ohhh that looks great.
Roasted squash rarely makes it off my sheet pan when I make it, I just keep picking at the pieces! One of my favorite things about fall is definitely butternut squash.
This look amazing! The perfect fall salad…yum!
This looks delicious! I just love these fall flavors.
What a scrumptious combination of seasonal fall flavors! I am planning a trip to an apple orchard and this salad is a great way to incorporate my bounty into a dinner salad. Thinking of adding a warm bowl of homemade soup and crusty bread for a lovely autumn meal.
I think that this recipe is a winner. I must try this with my high school students. They surely have never had such a combination.
I’m a great fan of roasting squash and adding apples is a fab idea. Such a pretty colourful salad!
Yes! I’ve been looking for butternut squash recipes. Thanks Jen!
This looks so delicious and easy.
I love the combination of butternut squash and apples- I could eat the entire thing as my meal!
Just thinking about this dish makes me feel all cozy inside. Goes to show that a few simple, seasonal ingredients is all you need for a fantastic recipe
Butternut squash is my favorite fall veggie and I especially love to pair it with something sweet – maple syrup or brown sugar work perfectly!
I made this last night – it was simple, worked wonderfully as a side dish for a cauliflower bake, plus the house smelled sooo nice! Thank you!
p.s. Leftovers plus walnuts went on a salad today as suggested, but minus gorgonzola, which I dislike. Didn’t miss it!
Umm…Yumm. That’s all I can say…well, except MY kind of salad, absolutely!
I made this for dinner tonight. Popped it on top of some rocket and lettuce leaves and added the walnuts as suggested. I served it alongside some maple glazed paneer and it was perfect! Thanks for sharing the recipe!