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Roasted Butternut Squash Casserole with Cinnamon Crunch Topping , cut, peel, wash, rinse, winter squash, healthy. low carbs, high protein, good fiber, vitamins, minerals, paleo-friendly, vegetarian, sweet, nutty, pumpkin family, main dish, entree, side dish, Fall food, Fall Recipe, Holiday Recipe, Vegetarian Recipe, Paleo Recipe, Low Carb Recipe, Thanksgiving Recipe, Christmas Recipe, Bulk Recipe, Oven Recipe, Microwave, Skillet, Stove, Bake, Roast, Cook, Cut, Chop, Easy to make recipe, Yakon Syrup, Raw Honey, All Natural, scratch, homemade, by hand, fast, easy, simple eat, simple eats, recipe, simple recipe, holidays gatherings, celebrations, casserole dish, bacon, pancetta, onions, fresh veggies, winter veggies, comfort food, filling, sastisfying, In the Kitchen With Dana

Roasted Butternut Squash Casserole with Cinnamon Crunch Topping 

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Course: Posts
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Prep For The Roasting Pan
  • 3 Tablespoons coconut oil melted
  • 3 C. butternut squash rinsed, peeled, cubed.
  • 2 medium firm apples cubed with skin on (you can peel it if you prefer)
  • 1 small red onion chopped
  • 1½ teaspoons of both fresh sage chopped and fresh thyme leaves
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Cooking Tools For Roasting Prep
  • Knife
  • Peeler
  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • 9 x13” baking dish
Prep For The Cinnamon Crunch Topping
  • 6 slices thick-cut bacon chopped into ½-inch pieces* (be sure to use Paleo-friendly bacon)
  • ½ c. pecans roughly chopped (optional- walnuts)
  • 2 T. raw honey or Yakon Syrup - my personal fave
  • ½ t. ground cinnamon
  • ¼ t. ground cloves
Cooking Tools For Crunch Topping
  • Paper Towel
  • Small Mixing Bowl
  • Microwave Bacon Tray or Paper Plates covered or Skillet.
  • Tongs
  • Mixing Spoon

Method
 

For The Squash Mixture
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a 9x13” baking dish with 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil, using a pastry brush to coat each side.
  2. Set aside after coating.
  3. Next, in a large mixing bowl, combine the apples, butternut squash, red onion, as well as the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil.
  4. Give it a good stir to mix thoroughly.
  5. Add in sage, thyme and lightly season (to taste) with salt and pepper and combine with a good mix.
  6. Now it's time to transfer the butternut squash mixture onto the prepared baking dish.
  7. Make sure to spread the butternut, apple, onion and spice mixture thoroughly into an even layer.
  8. Place the baking dish, uncovered, in the preheated oven to roast for 30 minutes, until the butternut squash is just fork tender.
Prepping The Cinnamon Crunch Topping for Roasted Butternut Squash Casserole
  1. While the butternut squash mixture is roasting, the bacon and nut prep begins.
  2. Lay your bacon across the bacon- tray, cover with a paper towel or the bacon tray lid.
  3. Microwave bacon according to your microwave directions. Generally 1 minute per piece, but this varies.
  4. Once the microwave cycle is done, allow to sit for a minute before removing. Lift paper towel (carefully) to ensure crispiness was achieved.
  5. If bacon is not crispy repeat microwaving cycle for an additional 30 seconds each cycle until crisp, not burned is achieved.
  6. Carefully remove bacon platter from microwave (remember hot bacon grease is in the reserve).
  7. Transfer the bacon with tongs, to a small mixing bowl lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease.
  8. Allow this bacon to continue to cool for 5-10 minutes and once cooled, discard the paper towel.
  9. Next, crumble bacon into pieces and add in a tablespoon of coconut oil, chopped pecans, Yakon Syrup (or raw honey).
  10. Mix that portion of ingredients well, making sure it all gets coated with syrup and coconut oil.
  11. Finally, season with cinnamon, ground cloves, a dusting of both salt and black pepper. Combine well.
Putting the Roasted Butternut Squash Casserole All Together
  1. Remove squash from the oven (it's first roasting cycle) and top with the crunchy mixture.
  2. Use a rubber scraper to ensure that all honey, coconut, and spice is out of the bowl and scattered atop your casserole.
  3. Return the entire mixture to the oven. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the topping is nicely browned.
  4. When the casserole is browned, remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

if you are not paleo but vegetarian, sub in Vegetarian bacon or eliminate it. 
Use Raw Honey if you prefer instead of Yakon Syrup. 
Add in a touch of Cayenne Pepper for a little more warmth in flavor. 
Drizzle when baking with a touch of brown sugar if you don't adhere to any particular eating lifestyle. 
Sub in Pancetta if you don't want bacon and are not eating Paleo. 
Alternatively, Mix in Sweet Potatoes. (read my notes in the story as to why I eliminated but could have kept it.