Sweet & Savory Roasted Butternut Squash

Preheat oven to 400ºF; line a large baking sheet with a Silpat liner (if available).

To prepare the butternut, trim off the top and bottom ends. Cut the squash in half between the neck (the elongated part) and the base (the bulbous part). To peel off the skin, use a vegetable peeler, or if the skin is very thick, stand the neck straight up and carefully trim off the skin with a sharp knife (you can cut the neck into 2 pieces first, if it’s easier). Peel the base in the same way; once peeled, cut the base in half and scoop out the insides. Once peeled and de-seeded, cut the squash into 1-inch cubes.

Toss the squash with the oil, butter, brown sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, then spread it in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

Toss the onion, apple, thyme, and lemon juice together in a large bowl. After the squash has cooked for the first 20 minutes, remove it from the oven and turn the oven up to 450ºF. Pour the onion/apple mixture onto the tray with the squash and gently toss it together. Bake until everything is tender, about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. If you want the veggies to brown a bit more, you can run them under the broiler for a couple minutes. Keep a close eye on them though!

Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired; serve.