Welcome back for Day 2 of Thanksgiving Sides - I hope you are getting hungry! Today we are going to drool over acorn squash that is roasted and perfectly caramelized under a generous basting of sticky, sweet and spicy glaze. In my humble opinion, we need more spice on the Thanksgiving table and a chipotle maple glaze fits the bill. I could just eat every drop of this glaze with a spoon before a drop of it touches the squash because it's that good.
This dish is make-ahead friendly so it gets bonus points for helping harried home cooks. You can cut your squashes into wedges, put them in a roasting pan, cover and refrigerate up to a day ahead. The glaze can also be made in advance, you will just have to warm it up a bit prior to use as the butter will solidify when refrigerated.
Plan to roast the squash in the last 40 minutes of your dinner-to-table countdown as your turkey rests and you carve it, gravy is stirred, mashed potatoes are whipped and drinks are poured. Plate it on a long, narrow platter and garnish with freshly chopped parsley and some pomegranate seeds if you have them. The green and red will make the orange-gold color of the squash pop!
So what do you think of acorn squash? Have you ever tried it before? I'd love to hear about your experience in the comments section below!
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Thanksgiving Sides: Roasted Acorn Squash with Maple Chipotle Glaze
Ingredients
- 3 medium acorn squash seeded and cut into quarters
- Cooking spray
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Place the squash wedges in a greased roasting pan or baking dish, cut side facing up. Spray the squash wedges lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt.
- Combine the syrup, butter, and adobo sauce in a small bowl. Lightly brush about ½ of the glaze over the squash wedges.
- Cover the baking dish or roasting pan with foil and slit a few holes in the top. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove foil and brush the remainder of glaze on the squash. Place the dish back into the oven, uncovered, and roast for an additional 20 minutes or until the squash is tender and the glaze is caramelized. Serve hot.
Notes
**This recipe can easily be scaled down to serve 2 people. Just use one acorn squash, 2 teaspoons butter, 1 tablespoon syrup, 1 teaspoon water, and ½ teaspoon adobo sauce.
Jeanette | Jeanette's Healthy Living says
Gorgeous! I love how easy this is too.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Love acorn squash! This is a fabulous healthy sweet side 🙂