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    Home » Sides » Balsamic Roasted Squash with Cranberries

    Balsamic Roasted Squash with Cranberries

    Oct 24, 2017 · by Valentina · 37 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Balsamic Roasted Squash with Cranberries is a great Thanksgiving side dish, that’s lovely for the whole fall and holiday season! It’s full of beautiful, sweet and savory, fall and winter flavors.Balsamic-Herb Cranberry Roasted Squash in a terracotta bowl

    I think I might have actually closed my eyes after the first bite went in my mouth.

    It’s SO good!

    That was my first thought when I tasted this delicious recipe.

    An Ideal Fall Side Dish

    This dish is like fall on a sheet pan!

    It's seasonal first because of the warm colors, second because of the earthy flavors, and third because of the soft textures. This is a very warm and comforting recipe.

    And therefore, it's perfect for Thanksgiving.

    Balsamic-Herb Cranberry Roasted Squash on a sheet pan

    Balsamic Roasted Squash with Cranberries began when I bought a lot of extra produce for a job I did last week that involved all kinds of fall and winter squash.

    In fact as I was working, seeing what was getting used, and what wasn’t, I was already cooking up this new recipe in my mind.

    fresh procuce, including pumpkin, carrot, apple, sweet potato, Kabocha squash, parsnip and butternut squash

    What's in this reicpe?

    • orange squash (Acorn, Kabocha, Delicate, Butternut or Pumpkin -- or any combination thereof)
    • carrots
    • onion
    • garlic
    • fresh cranberries
    • fresh sage
    • fresh rosemary
    • balsamic vinegar
    • orange juice
    • unsalted butter

    Are you hungry yet?

    raw, chopped carrots, orange squash, onoion and craberrries on a sheet pan

    I served this with rice and roasted chicken and my whole family loved it.

    And I’m definitely going to make it for Thanksgiving this year. Just imagine a bite of this mixed with Bacon Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey on your fork! Thanksgiving sides with squash are always a hit!

    Can you use Other Winter Squash?

    • You can use pretty much use any fall or winter squash you want.
    • I used Kabocha and Acorn, but Butternut, Pumpkin and Delicate would also be fantastic.
    • If you have one favorite you can use just one -- though, while they are all similar in flavor and texture, the differences are enough that using a few different varieties makes for a more interesting dish.

    If Acorn squash is a favorite of yours, Pecan-Crusted Acorn Squash with Crispy Sage Leaves also screams Thanksgiving. 

    Balsamic-Herb Cranberry Roasted Squash in a terracotta bowl

    It's Easy!

    • Cutting the squash will take a little bit of time, though it’s a really easy recipe to put together.
    • If you’re making it for a holiday gathering (or dinner any time), it can be made a day ahead. (Just heat it in a 375°F oven before serving.)

    Enjoy this wonderfully delicious Balsamic Roasted Squash with Cranberries.

    Balsamic Roasted Squash with Cranberries in a terra cotta dish

    Balsamic Roasted Squash with Cranberries

    Valentina K. Wein
    Balsamic Roasted Squash with Cranberries is a great Thanksgiving side dish, that’s lovely for the whole fall and holiday season! It’s full of beautiful, sweet and savory, fall and winter flavors.
    5 from 9 votes
    Print
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 40 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Calories 217 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • olive oil
    • 4 pounds orange squash Acorn, Kabocha, Delicate, Butternut or Pumpkin, or combination thereof — peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
    • ½ pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
    • 2 cups yellow onion, cut into a very large dice
    • 1½ cups fresh cranberries
    • 12 small to medium sized garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with root ends trimmed
    • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, washed and dried, finely chopped
    • 1 tablespoon fresh sage, washed and dried, finely chopped
    • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
    • 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
    • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Set the oven. Preheat the oven to 475°F and adjust a rack to the center.
    • Toss vegetables with oil and begin roasting. Add the squash, carrots, onions, cranberries and garlic to a sheet pan. Toss with just enough olive oil to lightly coat all of the ingredients, and sprinkle with the rosemary, sage and salt and pepper. Toss again and then arrange everything in as close to a single layer as possible (there will be some overlap). Place in the preheated 475°F oven and roast for 20 minutes. At this point it should be sizzling and just starting to caramelize.
      Remove the sheet pan from the oven and reduce the heat to 400°F.
    • Add vinegar, juice and butter and continue to roast. Drizzle evenly with the balsamic vinegar and orange juice and and drop the pieces of butter throughout. Gently mix together, sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper and return to the now 400°F oven, and roast until everything is very nicely caramelized, about another 20 minutes.
    • Serve!

    Notes

    Calorie count is only an estimate.
    Keywords great for Thanksgiving, vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes
    Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Hofterzielbeek

      October 25, 2017 at 2:49 am

      This Balsamic Herb Cranberry roasted squash looks very delicious. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe.

      Reply
      • valentina

        October 25, 2017 at 9:30 am

        Thank you for visiting! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Deb|EastofEdenCooking

      October 25, 2017 at 7:29 am

      Roasted veggies are always a delight, but that splash of balsamic really makes the flavors pop! And yes!! to easy and scrumptious Thanksgiving sides!

      Reply
      • valentina

        October 25, 2017 at 9:31 am

        Thanks so much, Deb! Can't believe the holidays are creeping up on us already!

        Reply
    3. Patricia@FreshFoodinaFlash

      October 25, 2017 at 12:26 pm

      What a great idea. I'm making this. I love the addition of the fresh cranberries.

      Reply
      • valentina

        October 25, 2017 at 2:19 pm

        Thank you so much, Patricia! I hope you love it as much as I do. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Mary

      October 25, 2017 at 4:45 pm

      I love Kabocha squash! And you're so right that this would be lovely at Thanksgiving!

      Reply
      • valentina

        October 25, 2017 at 10:12 pm

        Thanks, Mary! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Dana

      October 25, 2017 at 5:02 pm

      I love this use of balsamic and I love the addition of cranberries! Perfect holiday side for sure.

      Reply
      • valentina

        October 25, 2017 at 10:12 pm

        Yay! 😀

        Reply
    6. Jessica @Small Bites by Jessica

      October 25, 2017 at 5:22 pm

      This looks perfect for Thanksgiving! Love all those fall flavors and colors!

      Reply
      • valentina

        October 25, 2017 at 10:12 pm

        Thank you Jessica. Hope you try it. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Suzy | The Mediterranean Dish

      October 25, 2017 at 6:36 pm

      This is screaming fall! Love it!

      Reply
      • valentina

        October 25, 2017 at 10:11 pm

        Thank you, Suzy! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Liz @ I Heart Vegetables

      October 25, 2017 at 6:46 pm

      Ohhh yum! I love squash but I haven't tried it with cranberries. Such a good idea!

      Reply
      • valentina

        October 25, 2017 at 10:11 pm

        Thanks Liz! So happy I tried the cranberry combination -- that's what happens with a bunch of leftover ingredients. 🙂

        Reply
    9. David

      October 26, 2017 at 7:11 am

      Perfect for Halloween, too!

      Reply
      • valentina

        October 26, 2017 at 11:33 am

        Agreed! Or for tonight! 😉

        Reply
    10. sippitysup

      October 27, 2017 at 2:19 pm

      The holidays have officially started with this beauty. GREG

      Reply
    11. arj

      November 17, 2018 at 8:45 am

      I know this has nothing to do with the recipe (which looks amazing btw), but I just discovered you can adjust the number of servings, and it ADJUSTS THE INGREDIENT AMOUNTS! OMG this is so brilliant. I have a small family of three and I'm really bad at math, so this is about the greatest invention I've ever seen. THANK YOU! I'll report back on the recipe after I make it, too. 🙂

      Reply
      • valentina

        November 17, 2018 at 10:39 am

        Thank you! Thatfeature the came with recipe card I use. I love it too. 🙂 I hope you find the recipe as delicious as I do. Enjoy and thanks for sharing!

        Reply
        • arj

          November 23, 2018 at 8:06 am

          I made this for Thanksgiving as my main vegetarian option, and enjoyed it with all the traditional sides (rest of family had turkey and enjoyed this as a side). I regretfully ignored the advice to spread out the veggies and roast on sheet pan and instead did it in a casserole dish and regretted that the veggies didn't get that full roastyness (more steamed than roasted). The fall flavors were fantastic though, and I think since everything cooked very soft, today I'm going to puree this with veg stock and see how it holds up as a soup. It was a bit fussy cutting up all the hard squashes, so I think next time I will go for the pre-cubed squashes you can buy in the deli or freezer section. Thank you for a very unique recipe!

          Reply
          • valentina

            November 23, 2018 at 12:49 pm

            Thanks so much for sharing! I'm so happy it was a hit! And puréeing the leftovers for a soup is a fabulous idea! I'll have to try that next time too. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!~ Valentina

            Reply
    12. Andrea Metlika

      November 29, 2018 at 11:43 am

      This looks beautiful. All of the vegetables you used are fantastic and the flavors just take it to another level.

      Reply
      • valentina

        November 29, 2018 at 12:09 pm

        Thanks so much Andrea!

        Reply
    13. Tracy

      November 29, 2018 at 12:22 pm

      Fall on a sheet pan indeed! How beautiful and delicious sounding! I just love all the squash this time of year and I also love a good sheet pan dish that doesn't require a lot of dishes!

      Reply
      • valentina

        November 30, 2018 at 12:56 pm

        Thanks so much, Tracy. 🙂 Enjoy!

        Reply
    14. Jenna

      November 29, 2018 at 12:45 pm

      It's all the best parts of Thanksgiving side dishes in one meal! Going to try this for Christmas.

      Reply
      • valentina

        November 30, 2018 at 12:56 pm

        I hope you love it, Jenna! 🙂

        Reply
    15. Mary

      November 29, 2018 at 1:35 pm

      I can't get enough roasted vegetables this time of year! They're so simple and satisfying!

      Reply
      • valentina

        November 30, 2018 at 12:57 pm

        I totally agree, Mary. Thanks and enjoy!

        Reply
    16. Kelly Anthony

      November 29, 2018 at 2:03 pm

      I'm loving all the fall colors in this dish. It's just so pretty and perfect for serving at Thanksgiving or really anytime.

      Reply
      • valentina

        November 30, 2018 at 12:57 pm

        Thanks Kelly. I love it around Thanksgiving. 🙂

        Reply
    17. Eha

      October 15, 2021 at 4:51 pm

      It may be spring here and we may not have Thanksgiving or Halloween but I do love the sound if this recipe ! It may be difficult to access fresh cranberries as these are not a common fruit here . . . but we'll give it a go . . . would love to taste this in 'real' life !!!

      Reply
      • valentina

        October 17, 2021 at 6:34 pm

        Hi Eha. You can try this with dried cranberries, too. I hope you do try it "in real life." Enjoy! :-)~Valentina

        Reply
    18. Kim Lange

      October 16, 2021 at 6:56 am

      These roasted veggies look outstanding! I'd definitely gobble this up! YUM~

      Reply
      • valentina

        October 17, 2021 at 6:04 pm

        Thanks so much, Kim. Enjoy. 🙂 ~Valentina

        Reply

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