I honestly was not paying much attention to the food, but I was very hungry. So after our meal, when the waiter listed off their dessert items from memory and I heard “Lava Cake,” I ordered it, knowing it would be a safe choice. Chocolate? Check. Gooey? Check. Served with ice cream? Hopefully. This restaurant though, it’s a little extra. My lava cake was delivered in record time with some chocolatey squishy things around the edge: a fancy garnish. I even pointed them out to Sarah with a chuckle, “These look like little turds.” Okay, I know, TMI, but it was 100% accurate. I took a bite of the cake. A safe choice, as expected: it wasn’t amazingly well done but it was chocolate, for heaven’s sake. If you’re a woman at the end of a long day, you treat chocolate like cocaine, just snort and don’t ask questions about the quality. I took a big bite of the weird garnish, let out a cry of dismay, and spit it out immediately. It had a terribly earthy flavor, spongey texture, and there was definitely no chocolate. We looked at the menu: Rich Molten Lava Cake with Crispy Cocoa Rice and Shiitake Chutney. Y’ALL THEY PUT MUSHROOMS ON MY LAVA CAKE I thought I was safe!!! It’s lava cake!! What is even going on! gahh hahaha!!! Well. I’m scarred for life now basically. There will be NO MUSHROOMS featured on the blog in the near future because of my trauma. 😂 For as anti-mushroom as I am feeling right now, I’m having the same level of passion (in the positive direction) for butternut squash. Tis the season right? Have piles of these hit your produce section at the market yet? I love this time of year. The time of year when I almost always toss a squash in my basket and a couple green apples so that I’m ready on any given weeknight to throw together this last minute Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. My favvvv. If I had to pick one favorite part of this salad, it would definitely be the dressing, because hello butter. Wait! No! It would have to be the savory granola. I basically proved it was my favorite thing by eating it for lunch today and nothing else (So snackable, guys. WHY is savory granola not more of a thing??) I’m obsessed, just look at this: Or maybe my actual favorite part is the fresh sage and cranberries that garnish this salad. It’s Thanksgiving time my friends, and we are not messing around when it comes to garnishes. BRING ON THE FRESH!! But I forgot to mention the salad’s namesake, honey roasted butternut. With the warmed cranberries? YOU GUYS!! It’s all just so good. I’m not really much of a salad person. I only like salad when there are some amazing things that distract from all the lettuce. This recipe DELIVERS. Let’s review:
honey roasted butternut squash brown butter balsamic dressing savory granola Parmesan Dried AND fresh cranberries fresh sage
You usually don’t see butter in a salad dressing, and I’m just here to say, why the heck not?? I add butter to everything, even things that already taste good by themselves, so why wouldn’t I add it to my spinach? Seems like we’ve been missing out up til now 😂 This salad is your fall flavor dreams come true, all in one giant bowl! I’ve been eating it for lunch all week. It would be perfect for your Thanksgiving table, or for your November lunch meal preps. You can use basically any nut combo you want. I used whole walnuts, pistachios, and pine nuts (pecans and pumpkin seeds would also be amazing). Don’t skip the oats, they bring it all together! There is also sage, cayenne, and salt. You can swap the sage for literally any herb you fancy. Then add in an egg white (this is what makes it stick together), some honey, and oil. Stir it up! Spread it on a pan and bake while you chop up your squash! (You can even make this granola up to 3 days ahead! Perfect for Thanksgiving! You can make the dressing ahead too, see notes in the recipe card.)
How do you cut a butternut squash for roasting?
Now let’s dig into this butternut! First we’re gonna skin him NEKED. Feel free to play Justin Timberlake’s “Rock your Body” while you complete this task. We will have this butternut naked by the end of this song. ok ok sorry Chop it in half and scoop out the guts. Use a canning jar lid for this! I can’t tell you how much time this will save you! The edges are a little sharp, and they cut the edge of the flesh SO much better than a spoon. (Also please ignore my glove. I have a very weird skin allergy to butternuts and pumpkins! Crazy right??) Slice and dice. I like to make my pieces about 1 inch square, easy bite size. I used a nearly-3-pound butternut squash and got about 7-8 cups. Seems like a lot, but remember, after roasting, it will be about half this volume. Measure your oil before your honey, then the honey just slides right out, no scraping. Spread it out on a sheet pan and roast it up until tender!
Make the dressing
I’m telling you, I don’t know why we don’t make more salad dressings with butter. It’s SO GOOD. Especially when it’s browned! Have you ever browned butter? It’s easy, so easy. The easiest way to get flavor that punches you in the mouth! In a good way. You want to cook the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it foams, and then keep going. Once you see brown swirls coming up from the bottom (top picture) it’s brown. Take it off the heat. Once the foam has calmed down, you will be able to see the browned bits at the bottom. Whir this goodness in a blender with some balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, and a shallot. It’s super easy! Leave it in the blender until you are ready to serve, (to spin it one last time) and be prepared to reheat if necessary. This dressing solidifies at room temperature, and it must be served warm (not hot!) to be able to drizzle it over the salad. Now it’s time to assemble! Add all the ingredients to a serving bowl and voila! Salad heaven.
This salad would make an AMAZING side to bring to any holiday or fall get together – it would work especially well as a side for Thanksgiving or Christmas! Add some simple grilled/baked meat and you’ve got a well-balanced meal. You can try Simply Amazing Grilled Chicken, Lemon Tarragon Grilled Chicken, or some Easy Baked Pesto Chicken. If you prefer pork, try making Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork Tenderloin (Crock Pot) Serve alongside some simple ravioli or Easy Caramelized Gnocchi (just skip the topping) for a meatless but hearty dinner A good bread goes a long way to making a meal feel complete. Try serving up some Sweet and Moist Cornbread, Garlic and Rosemary Skillet Bread, or Jiffy Corn Casserole to round out a dinner with this salad
To freeze cooked butternut squash, flash freeze on a cookie sheet and then add the cubes to a freezer ziplock bag. It will last in the freezer 3-6 months, but chances are when it thaws the squash will be more mashed than in cubes. Roast them in a 400 degree oven til cooked to how hot/crispy you like them. You could also freeze the dressing in a freezer ziplock bag. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight or a few hours on the counter, then warm in microwave. You can also freeze the granola in a freezer ziplock bag. It will be ready to eat within a few hours of sitting out on the counter. You can make the granola and dressing up to 3 days in advance. Store the granola sealed on the counter, keep the dressing in the fridge. You must reheat the dressing (microwave is fine) before serving. You can also make the butternut squash ahead of time: Cook as directed, but leave the squash a little “al dente”. Store in the fridge for up to 2 days, then on the day you are serving, spread the squash on a pan and roast at 400 until warmed through, maybe 5-8 minutes. Alternatively, you can peel and chop the raw squash up to 3 days ahead of time, storing it well sealed in the fridge. Then add honey and oil to roast on the day you serve, just as instructed. Assemble the salad as usual!
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