Roasted Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar and Toasted Pecans

I was in the mood for a nice fall dinner tonight and loved how it turned out. However, it was absolute chaos while making and eating it... I think at one point all three kids were crying at the same time. The worst is when you work really hard getting dinner made and then it doesn't even turn out. So, even though it was pretty crazy tonight, I was still pleasantly surprised that I didn't destroy it during the many interruptions. 

I never did get to take a picture of the whole meal finished. I found this AMAZING recipe for a Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Onion from Inspired Taste. I will be making it again, and this dinner would be great for a Fall dinner party. The pork tenderloin is rubbed with dijon mustard and fresh thyme, served over sautéed apples and onion. It is full of flavor, and the pork tenderloin is so tender and delicious! I served it over a colorful multigrain rice, I like to buy the frozen bags of rice at Trader Joe's. They take three minutes to cook in the microwave and I never have to clean an extra pot. 

Along side the pork tenderloin I made this roasted butternut squash. It added beautiful color to the plate and the toasted pecans on top added a great flavor and texture. A bit of brown sugar created a sweet glaze that coated the squash. You can find the recipe for the squash below and follow the link above for the pork tenderloin recipe, you won't be disappointed!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar and Toasted Pecans

Ingredients:

-1 butternut squash, cubed

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-2 tablespoons brown sugar

-Salt and Pepper

-1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel your butternut squash and slice it lengthwise down the center. Scoop out the seeds and strings. Cut the squash into 1/2" to 1" cubes. Place in a baking dish and toss with the olive oil and brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Place in the over for 30-35 minutes. Meanwhile, place your pecans in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until lightly toasted. Remove from heat and chop. When the butternut squash is done remove from the oven and add pecans. Toss well to cover the squash and pecans with the glaze that was created from the brown sugar. Serve warm.

Sweet & Salty

My Mom had these sweet and salty candies at a party and told me about them...and we had to make them. They are dangerous to have around because once you pop one in your mouth you just can't stop! They are really quick and easy to make too. Here's how to make them:

You'll need a bag of pretzels, a bag of Rolo candies, and some whole pecans.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. While it is preheating, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. This will make for an easier clean up, you won't have melted chocolate all over the cookie sheet. Place the pretzels on the cookie sheet and top each one with an unwrapped Rolo candy. Bake for about 5 minutes, just until the candy begins to melt.

Remove from the oven and gently press a whole pecan into each Rolo candy. You can refrigerate to help them set...or just start eating them warm. Either way they won't last for very long!  

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