This roasted acorn squash is cooked with brown sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon for a sweet and savory side that’s perfect for fall and winter meals. It pairs perfectly with a variety of proteins such as salmon, chicken, pork chops and steak.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Halve the acorn squash lengthwise and remove the seeds. Cut the halves into 3/4 inch thick slices.
Line a sheet pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.
In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the olive oil mixture over the squash and toss to coat.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until acorn squash is tender and starting to brown. Serve immediately.
Notes
In order to choose ripe acorn squash, look for squash that are dark green without a lot of yellow spots. The skin should be hard and should not be shiny. Riper squash will have a better flavor when roasted.
If you want to avoid some cutting, you can roast and serve entire squash halves. Simply bump up the cooking time a few minutes and make sure to take the squash out of the oven when it is nice and tender.
Be sure to coat the top and the bottom of the squash with your sauce. You can flip the squash midway through the baking process to maximize caramelization.