Ever finish eating something and immediately want to eat it again? That’s what happened with this roasted butternut squash with brown sugar and vanilla. I finished it, and wanted more! Sadly, it was the last of the squash and the last of the nuts. However, squash is definitely on my shopping list for my next trip to the supermarket.

What made this recipe so good? The vanilla and nuts almost made me feel as if I were eating a cookie or some sort of dessert rather than a vegetable. It was sweet, without being cloying, as there’s very little sugar in it. Topping it with a mixture of nuts and craisins (dried, sweetened cranberries) added a bit of crunch and a sweet/tart tang.

The original version of this recipe (which I found on the Neilsen-Massey web site), called for vanilla sugar. Since I didn’t have any and had no interest in going out and searching for some in the stores, I simply added a bit of vanilla to some brown sugar instead. As far as I’m concerned it worked perfectly, and I didn’t have to buy an extra ingredient. Win win!

The nuts I used were an unsalted mixture from Trader Joe’s with hazelnuts, cashews and pecans. Use whatever mix you like, although I think I would skip something with peanuts. The craisins were an unintentional bonus. I had a few leftover from making the turkey chipotle enchilada recipe from a couple of weeks ago, and had thrown them in the bag of nuts. I forgot that when I mixed them into the topping, but it turned out to be a good “accident.”

So, while this may look like a vegetable, it’s definitely a dessert in a clever vegetable disguise! In fact, I’m half-tempted to put it in the dessert category instead of as a side dish. Serve it with a simple piece of roast chicken or a pork chop. I baked a chicken thigh with some olive oil, oregano, a bit of garlic, and salt and pepper.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar and Vanilla

Ingredients

Squash

1 cup butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
1 teaspoon butter, softened slightly
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. brown sugar
tiny pinch salt

Topping

1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 C mixed nuts with dried sweetened cranberries
1 tsp butter, softened slightly

Instructions

Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 375 degrees.
Combine the ingredients for the squash in a medium size bowl. Toss it all together to mix it thoroughly. Pour the squash mixture into a small baking pan.
Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Once the squash is cooked, take the same bowl you used to mix the squash and add the topping ingredients. Mix that all together.
Remove the squash from the oven, and add the topping mixture.
Turn the oven up to broil and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Watch the nuts and make sure they don't burn.