Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

Saying hello to fall does not mean saying goodbye to the fresh, filling salads of summer. I created this salad to incorporate some of my favorite fall flavors: squash, maple, apple cider, crunchy pumpkin seeds and of course, bacon. This salad is perfect for a crisp fall night, served as a main course or as a hearty side dish.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
Mixed Greens
1 whole butternut squash
1 large red onion, cut into chunks
2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste
2 oz goat cheese
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup pepitas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut, peel and dice butternut squash. The best way to do this is cut off the top and bottom. Scoop out extra seeds at bottom. Using a vegetable peeler, peel off the thick skin, making sure any green is peeled off. Cut into slices and dice into cubes.

Place squash and red onion on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil and maple syrup over squash and onion, coating completely. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 25-30 minutes.

Plate mixed greens (I used a mixture of spinach, red Romaine and green Romaine). Place squash over top of salad. Add cranberries and goat cheese. Drizzle with bacon dressing and serve immediately.

Warm Bacon Dressing
5-6 slices of bacon, chopped
2/3 C apple cider vinegar
2 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 TBSP maple syrup
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a medium sauce pan. Add bacon. Cook until crispy, about 8-10 minutes.

In the meantime, add cider vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, sugar, salt and pepper to a small mixing bowl. Whisk until emulsified.

Drain bacon grease. Add bacon back to pot. Add vinegar mixture. Heat through, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drizzle over salad, adding bacon bits across the salad.

Enjoy!

Bloggers from across the country are dishing up mixed greens this fall. Check out these awesome recipes as a part of Food Network’s Fall Fest!

Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Quinoa and Black Lentil Salad With Mixed Salad Greens
Cooking With Books: “Chopped” Salads
Dishin & Dishes: Beet Salad With Garlic Vinaigrette
Thursday Night Dinner: Mixed Lettuce, Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Pita Pizza
And Love It Too: Rainbow Salad
Made By Michelle: Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches
Feed Me Phoebe: Hearts of Romaine With Beets, Pistachios and Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
HGTV Gardens: Garden-to-Table: Mixed Lettuce
Virtually Homemade: Mixed Fall Greens With Dijon Chive Vinaigrette
Devour: Lettuce (Hold the Salad)
Daily*Dishin: Almond Chutney Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Delicious Lean: Chiffonade of Mixed Greens
FN Dish: Top 12 Lettuce Wraps