Butternut Squash and Cranberries with Balsamic Glaze

In this fall recipe, Butternut Squash and Cranberries are roasted in a honey-balsamic glaze with rosemary and sage. The variations you can make with this recipe are endless, and it's a fantastic Thanksgiving side dish that’s lovely for the whole holiday season.

This beautiful dish is like fall on a sheet pan.

Butternut squash and cranberries are the stars of this festive fall dish, but you can use essentially any winter squash and/or root vegetable you want. And any combination thereof.

The Ingredients

_{Above: Pumpkin, Kabocha squash, carrots, parsnips, butternut squash, pear, apple, orange, persimmon and sweet potato. The recipe here includes butternut squash and cranberries with onion, garlic cloves and carrots -- however, everything pictured can work in variations of the recipe. (See Substitutions and Variations below.)}

• Butternut squash - Try to select a firm squash that's heavy for its size, with an intact stem and smooth, dull skin.
• carrots - Look for firm, plump carrots, preferably without little roots on the bottom.
• onion - Choose onions that are firm, heavy for their size and without bruises.
• garlic - Look for firm heads of garlic without any soft spots or green shoots, which are an indication it's old and likely bitter.
• fresh cranberries - During the fall and winter seasons, fresh cranberries should be available in the produce section of most markets. If it's off season, they'll be in the freezer section.
• fresh sage and rosemary - Fresh herbs should be perky without brown or yellow areas.
• balsamic vinegar - Use your favorite.
• honey
• Dijon mustard - I use a smooth Dijon. If you want a very slight crunch, use whole grain Dijon.
• extra virgin olive oil - I like this one.
• salt
• black pepper - Preferably freshly ground.

Substitutions and Variations

• Butternut squash. You can substitute butternut squash with sweet potatoes or any orange/winter squash like Acorn, Kabocha, Kuri, Delicata or Pumpkin -- or any combination thereof. (Cooking times will vary slightly.)
• Carrots. Turnips and parsnips would also be delicious. I often use a variety of all three.
• Fresh cranberries. Though this is a savory dish, butternut squash and cranberries make a delicious sweet-tart combination. You can substitute fresh cranberries with dried cranberries if you'd like. (Add them when you add the glaze to the squash.)
• Rosemary and sage. You can substitute rosemary and/or the sage with thyme or oregano.
• Spicy version. Add ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne pepper to the glaze.
• Various fall and winter fruits go really well with the squash, carrots and cranberries, like apples, pears or Fuyu persimmons. Cut them into bite-sized pieces and add them to the sheet pan at the beginning of the roasting time.
• To add a bit of zip, squeeze an orange over the squash when you add the glaze.
• Skip the honey if you'd like to keep it a bit less sweet.

Recipe Tips

• If you use frozen cranberries, thaw them before adding them to the recipe.
• When mixing the glaze, if you notice the honey isn't incorporating because it's too thick, warm it for a few seconds in a microwave. This way the glaze will coat the squash evenly.
• If you prefer smaller pieces of garlic, you can mince it, but add it after the first 20 minutes with the glaze. (The tiny pieces might burn if they're added earlier.)
• If you know your oven doesn't heat evenly, turn the sheet pan every 10 minutes or so.
• If you are doubling the recipe, use two sheet pans. If you crowd too much on one pan, you won't get the caramelization we're going for.

How to Make it

- Preheat the oven to 475°F and adjust a rack to the center.

- Peel and cut the butternut squash, carrots and onions into bite-sized pieces.

- Smash and peel, and cut the root ends off of the garlic cloves.

- Add the squash, carrots, onions, cranberries and garlic to a sheet pan.

- Toss with just enough olive oil to coat them. Sprinkle with the rosemary, sage and a pinch salt and pepper. Toss again and spread the ingredients into a single layer.

- Place the pan in the preheated 475°F oven and roast for 20 minutes. At this point it should be sizzling and just starting to caramelize.

- While the squash is roasting, in a small bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar with the Dijon, honey and olive oil.

- Remove the pan from the oven after the 20 minutes and drizzle all but about 1 tablespoon of the glaze over all of the ingredients. Use a flat-edged spatula to mix them.

- Return the pan to the oven and roast until everything is nicely caramelized, about another 20 minutes.

- Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of the glaze and season to taste with salt and pepper if necessary.

Serving Suggestions

• This side dish is great with roasted chicken. My two favorites to serve with it are Apple-Bacon Roasted Chicken and Blackberry Butter Roasted Chicken.
• Butternut squash and cranberries is an excellent Thanksgiving dish. Just imagine a bite of it mixed with Bacon Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey on your fork!
• If you let the dish cool to room temperature, it can turn into a fabulous hearty winter salad. Just add lettuce (Butter lettuce is perfect), or fresh spinach leaves. The balsamic glaze will become the dressing. And add crushed pecans on top for a little crunch.

More Winter Squash Recipes

• Red Kuri Squash Soup
• Stuffed Honeynut Squash
• Roasted Butternut Squash Chili
• Chicken Butternut Squash Lasagna
• Spinach-Sausage Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
• Butternut Squash Pie with Nut Crust

Can you make it ahead?

• The glaze can be made a couple of days ahead of time. (Keep it at room temperature.)
• If you’re making it for a holiday gathering (or dinner any time), the entire dish can be made a day ahead. (Just heat it through in a 375°F oven before serving.)

I hope you love this recipe as much as my family and I do!