spinach salad with butternut squash, apples and bacon.
13 days until Christmas.
Can you even handle it?
It probably comes as no surprise to you, what with my husband’s love affair with fall and winter decor and all, that our house has been a winter wonderland since the day after Thanksgiving. We’ve been ready for weeks now. I’ve spent countless hours in the kitchen in the last few weeks whisking and simmering, cleaning and drying, architecting gingerbread houses, crushing peppermint, and of course holding our daily afternoon egg nog/cider tasting (so far cider is the clear winner).
It was during a week of frenzied cooking that I stumbled upon this great recipe, one that’s perfect for this time of year! Cozy, hearty and wonderful. It’s full of fall’s bounty, including butternut squash, apples and shallots. Oh and bacon…which I may have inspired a bacon sesame brittle for baked sweet potatoes shortly after this upstanding and nutritious salad. Hit me up on Facebook or Twitter if you’re crazy enough to try the brittle.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch fresh spinach
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 cups 1" cubes peeled butternut squash
- 3 slices bacon
- 1 apple, such as Braeburn or Fuji, quartered, cored, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- 2 tablespoons (or more) fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
- kosher salt and fresh pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Toss squash with 1 Tbsp. olive oil on prepared sheet; season with salt. Roast squash, turning occasionally, until lightly browned and tender, 20–25 minutes. Let cool.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp, 1–2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
- Add squash, apple, shallot, lemon juice, and remaining olive oil to greens. Toss to combine; season to taste with salt. Divide evenly among plates. Drizzle with buttermilk. Arrange bacon over. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
188 calories, 13 grams of fat, 11 grams of carbohydrates, 8 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fiber.
Adapted from Bon Appetit. I’m not sure you could go wrong making a recipe from their magazine. Like ever.
TOTAL: $4.45, or $1.11 per person, based on the prices included on this spreadsheet.
