Butternut Squash

Ingredients

2 pounds butternut squash

¼ cup walnuts

2 Tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon dried sage (I used ½ teaspoon of poultry seasoning)

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon butter or canola oil

¼ cup dried cranberries

1 ½ Tablespoons maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Rinse and peel squash. Cut off ends and discard. Cut squash at the neck, creating a narrow end and a round end. Cut round end in half and scoop out seeds with a spoon. Cut both ends into ¾-inch, even-sized cubes.
3. Coarsely chop walnuts. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, add squash. Toss with oil, sage, salt and ground black pepper.
5. Spread squash evenly on a baking sheet. Roast, stirring once, until tender, about 35 minutes.
6. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt butter or heat oil. Add walnuts and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cranberries and maple syrup.
7. Gently toss cooked squash with cranberry mixture.

To make flavors pop even more, stir in 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar along with the cranberry mixture.

You can use fresh sage instead of dried. Leave out dried sage in step 4. Roll 4 fresh sage leaves into a log shape and thinly slice. Cook fresh sage in butter or oil along with the walnuts in step 6.

Use pecans or hazelnuts in place of walnuts. Try using raisins or dried cherries for the cranberries.