Recipe Box, Roasted Butternut Squash Spinach Salad

the Painted Apron

3 years ago

This salad is festive enough for special occasions

but also easy to make, it’s great for a weeknight supper

Fresh baby spinach, bacon, pecans, bleu cheese, cranberries

and roasted butternut squash

tossed in a simple homemade vinaigrette, yes please!

Enjoy it as a main dish or a side with quiche, soup or chicken

I love that you can buy butternut squash in cubes now,

so much easier than cutting it yourself!

I cooked the bacon in the oven

on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet

When the bacon is done, drain it on paper towels

and then you can tossed the squash in the rendered bacon fat

Transfer coated squash cubes to a clean baking sheet

and season with salt and pepper

Roast at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes

While the squash is roasting, put the spinach, bacon pieces,

crumbled bleu cheese,* pecans and cranberries

in a large salad bowl

*if you don’t like bleu cheese, just leave it out

or substitute with goat cheese or feta

Toss with a light vinaigrette dressing,

{ the recipe for my favorite is below}

You don’t need very much

because all the ingredients are so flavorful on their own

When squash is done, mix it into the salad and serve

Roasted Butternut Squash Spinach Salad

This salad is so pretty it can be served on special occasions, but it's so easy to make, you can enjoy it any night of the week. It's full of a variety of savory and sweet flavors, healthy spinach, roasted butternut squash, crispy bacon, pecans, cranberries, and bleu cheese. It's a party in your mouth!

Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword butternut squash, Butternut Squash and Spinach Salad, roasted butternut squash, spinach salad

Prep Time 10

Roasting time 45

Equipment

sheet pan
parchment paper

Ingredients

baby spinach leaves
bacon strips
butternut squash cubes
pecans
dried cranberries
bleu cheese crumbles optional
salt and pepper
light vinaigrette

Instructions

Line sheet pan with parchment and lay bacon strips on it
Roast at 400 degrees for 15-25 minutes, until bacon is crispy. Cooking will depend on type of bacon used, check often during the last few minutes
Drain bacon on paper towels
Place squash in the rendered bacon fat on the baking sheet and toss to coat
Transfer squash to a clean baking sheet, {with or without parchment]}, season with salt and pepper and return to 400 degree oven and roast for 20-25 minutes
While squash is roasting, put spinach into a salad bowl. Break bacon into 1 inch pieces and add to spinach along with pecans, cranberries, and bleu cheese crumbles
Toss with a little vinaigrette
Top with roasted squash, toss and serve