Honey Maple Squash with Crispy-Fried Sage Leaves

One of the best parts about Fall is the availability of fresh, colorful food. Apples, pears, Brussel sprouts, bright oranges, pumpkins, etc. are flowing into the stores, inspiring all kinds of cooking creativity. Among my favorite fall veggies is the acorn squash. Packed with vitamins and fiber, the bright orange flesh of the tummy-filling acorn squash makes a really good meal all by itself. Sometimes I roast them with olive oil and sea salt and just have that for a super easy lunch or dinner- nothing else. However, today, I have a recipe for special acorn squash with loads of flavor and is a perfect side dish for your holiday table. In fact, it is so good I am skipping the traditional sweet potatoes/yams and marshmallows at Thanksgiving and serving this Honey Maple Squash with Crispy-Fried Sage Leaves instead because it is so much yummier.

A mixture of butter, raw honey, and maple syrup is what give the squash its rich flavor. The mixture creates a yummy caramel that tastes amazing on the squash- much, much better than the butter and brown sugar. The acorn squash slices roast at 400 degrees in this mixture and slightly caramelizes them. This dish is perfect for any fall meal and especially Thanksgiving. It is extremely easy, although I do not recommend making this ahead of time. Personally, I think it is best served fresh. However, the leftovers are still really, really good, and I find myself grabbing slices out of the fridge to snack on frequently.

Crispy fried sage leaves are the garnish on top of the squash. They are something I first tried a couple of years ago. The idea sounded intriguing, so I decided to make some. To my surprise they were really tasty and make a wonderful topping for your poultry and/or vegetable recipes. The crispy sage leaves are completely optional for this recipe; however, they do look nice on top of the acorn slices and add a fancy and tasty garnish. I recommend trying it at least once just to see if you like it 🙂

Honey Maple Squash with Crispy-Fried Sage Leaves

1/2 cup melted butter

2 large acorn squashes seeded and cut into slices

1/2 cup raw honey

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the acorn squashes in half and seed them. Next, cut the halves into 1 to 1 1/2-inch slices (does not have to be perfect). Season the slices with sea salt and lay on a baking sheet. After this, combine melted butter, honey, and syrup until it comes together, and butter is thoroughly mixed in. This takes a few minutes, but the honey helps emulsify the maple syrup and butter, so it does not separate. Pour warm mixture over squash slices and turn to coat. Bake in oven for 50-60 minutes, making sure to turn slices once during cooking. Cook until slices are browned and starting to look translucent. Remove from oven and put squash slices on serving platter. Drizzle any remaining syrup from baking sheet on top. Set aside until ready to serve.

Tip: Save time and cut your squash a day or two before and store in a bag in the fridge. When you are ready to bake them just pull them out of the fridge and assemble sauce.

Butter-Fried Crispy Sage Leaves (optional)

1 handful of fresh, clean sage leaves

2 tbsps. of butter

Start by heating butter over medium heat in a saute pan. Once butter is melted and starting to bubble sprinkle in sage leaves, turning to coat. Fry for several minutes until they start to crisp. This is easily tested by removing one and letting it sit for a few seconds. If it breaks apart easily and it’s crispy then it’s done. Soft sage means it still needs to cook a bit more. Place crispy sage on a paper towel to drain excess butter. Serve on top of acorn squash.