There are a couple things in life I’ve just been drawn to for as long as I can remember. One of those things is the holidays. When I was little I would spend an entire afternoon decorating my room for Christmas setting up my own tree and hanging lights, my Grandma always sewed us holiday pajamas and my CD player only held Christmas CDs. I distinctly remember the fireplace burning and music playing in the background every Christmas morning as we opened gifts and waited for breakfast to be ready and I can never lay in front of the wood fireplace at my Grandma’s long enough this time of year. I know some just don’t get it, but I will always be one of those people who starts playing the festive music and watching the holiday movies in November, if not October. It’s a happy place for me and those little Christmas moments give me all the feels. It can be tough to hang on to that magic when you lose people who are such a big part of it (my grandpa, in laws and aunt), but if you look close enough I think you’ll find they actually sneak in a little extra sparkle in ways you didn’t see before. And I know it reminds me to enjoy the moments ahead that much more…for me that’s playing the music, watching the cliche movies, enjoying our family traditions (cookie baking day in particular), looking for opportunities to volunteer and of course making my stepdaughter’s face light up every Christmas morning. Christmas Eve/morning is such a sweet, sweet time.
And all that rambling on is just to lead me to this roasted butternut squash and cranberry side dish that I strongly suggest you make for Thanksgiving! I mean, look how pretty it is? You know my love for good presentation! And it tastes as good as it looks!
What’s to love about this dish…
- Beautiful colors! A side dish that can double as decor on your table
- So simple to make! We’ll get into that in a few, but literally four steps
- It’s healthy and we can all use a little extra healthy this time of year #tistheseason
- Naturally sweetened with cinnamon and honey
- CRANBERRIES! plenty said – my love for them runs deep 🙂
Let me break this down for y’all.
Step one!
Peel and cut butternut squash into small chunks. Hire some temporary help for this step as needed; uncooked squash can be hard to cut! I usually recruit my husband’s muscles to slice the squash in half for me 🙂 As I always recommend, look for the best squash at your local farmer’s markets. A lot of grocery stores will also have locally grown produce too so keep an eye out for the signs!
Step Two!
Toss the squash in olive oil, spread on a parchment paper covered baking sheet (cleanup made SO easy) and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes!
Step Three!
At the 25 minute mark, remove squash from oven and add fresh cranberries to the pan. Return to oven and roast another 10 – 15 minutes or until cranberries begin to soften and burst.
Step Four!
Remove from oven, sprinkle feta and cinnamon over the squash and berries and finish with a drizzle of honey. To add a pinch more color, toss a little fresh parsley on top before serving – food’s best decoration 😉 Best served warm and alongside turkey and dressing!
If you make this for Thanksgiving snap a photo to post on Instagram and tag @pinchofparsley; I’d love to see your pretty food! Enjoy!!
Roasted Butternut Squash & Cranberries
The perfect side dish to dress up your Thanksgiving table!
Ingredients
- 3 Ib butternut squash peeled and cut
- 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
- salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
- ground cinnamon to taste
- 2 Tbsp honey
- fresh parsley to garnish optional
Instructions
-
Peel and cut butternut squash into small chunks. Toss in olive oil, spread on a parchment paper covered baking pan and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
-
Roast squash at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.
-
After 25 minutes, remove the squash from the oven and add fresh cranberries to the pan. Return to oven and roast for another 10-15 minutes or until the cranberries begin to soften and burst.
-
Remove from oven and sprinkle with feta cheese and cinnamon. Drizzle honey over top and garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Best served warm!
Have a beautiful day!
15 thoughts on “Roasted Butternut Squash & Cranberries”