Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts with Maple Bacon Vinaigrette

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The crisp coolness of autumn is in the air. Front porches are bedecked with pumpkins and other varieties of squash that signify the season of harvest. These delicious foods also grace dinner tables in hearty, healthy dishes such as these provided by Brigitte Prather, the host of central Kentucky’s Fox 56 Meal Time Monday.

Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts with Maple Bacon Vinaigrette

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¾-inch cubes

1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

For vinaigrette:

4 slices bacon, diced

½ onion, finely diced

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

½ cup toasted walnuts, chopped

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Toss butternut squash cubes and Brussels sprouts with olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Season well with salt and pepper. Roast for 30-35 minutes, until vegetables are caramelized and tender.
  3. To make vinaigrette, cook diced bacon in a skillet until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
  4. Add onion to the bacon fat and cook for 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add mustard, vinegar and maple syrup and whisk to form a hot bacon dressing.
  5. Drizzle vinaigrette over the sheet pan of roasted vegetables and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and top with bacon bits and chopped walnuts.

Online Extra Recipes

Pumpkin Spice Grits with Toasted Pepitas

2 cups water

2 cups milk

1 cup white stoneground grits

1 cup pumpkin purée

¼ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2 tablespoons butter, plus more for serving

Salt, to taste

Sorghum or maple syrup, for serving

Toasted pepitas:

1 egg white

3 cups raw pepitas

¼ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

½ teaspoon salt

  1. For grits, boil water and milk in a saucepan and whisk in grits. Simmer until tender, stirring often, about 30-40 minutes.
  2. Whisk in pumpkin purée, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and butter and simmer to thicken to desired consistency.
  3. Season to taste with salt and serve with additional butter and sorghum or maple syrup.
  4. To make toasted pepitas, preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  5. Whisk egg white in a mixing bowl until frothy. Add raw pepitas, brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Stir to combine.
  6. Transfer mixture to a rimmed baking sheet. Spread in a thin layer and bake 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until pepitas are toasted and dry. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Spaghetti Squash with Brown Butter and Sage

1 spaghetti squash

Olive oil

½ stick butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

½ cup Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, plus more if desired

Salt and pepper, to taste

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. With a very sharp knife, halve squash lengthwise and remove seeds. Some people find it helpful to poke the squash with a fork and microwave it for about 5 minutes to make it easier to cut.
  3. Brush the insides of the squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Allow to sit until cool enough to handle, then shred the flesh with the tines of a fork.
  4. Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once melted, continue to cook until butter turns a warm amber color and smells toasty and fragrant.
  5. Add sage to hot butter, toss in shredded spaghetti squash, and sprinkle with cheese, salt and pepper.

Photo by Jesse Hendrix-Inman. Recipes provided by Brigitte Prather, the host of central Kentucky’s Fox 56 Meal Time Monday, and prepared at Sullivan University by Ann Currie.