Maple Roasted Squash

Serving squash this way is easy and you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. The saltiness of the feta and crunch of the pumpkin seeds perfectly complement the maple-sweetened squash for an amazing fall side dish. We like to use maple sugar instead of maple syrup in this recipe as it stays right where we want it, on top of the squash slices. Serve with sautéed kale, beans, and rice pilaf for a lovely vegetarian meal, or with roasted pork or chicken.

2 winter squash such as butternut, acorn, etc.
olive oil
salt & pepper
maple sugar
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped, toasted pumpkin seeds

1. Heat oven to 400°F.
2. If you’re cooking butternut squash, peel first, then cut into half inch circles and scrape the pulp out from each slice. For acorn squash, cut the whole squash, peel and all, into 1/2 inch or so circles. But if this is too hard and awkward to do, cut the entire squash in half first, scoop out the flesh, and then cut the halves into half moons. Spread squash out on baking sheets.
3. Drizzle squash with olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons, and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat. Sprinkle lightly with pepper. Then carefully sprinkle on some maple sugar.
4. Bake for 25 minutes or until squash is tender. Serve slices hot and sprinkled with crumbled feta and chopped pumpkin seeds.