3-Ingredient vegan side dish recipe, featuring roasted butternut squash to compliment just about any meal. Tossed in a light coating of cinnamon for a sweet, savory fall favorite.

THANKSGIVING COOKING, MADE EASY

I’m all about balance, especially during the holiday season. I’d be joking if I thought I would be able to cook an entire Thanksgiving meal for my family and stay sane at the same time. In fact, I’ve actually never done it before, and perhaps (for the sake of my family’s tastebuds attending), that’s a good thing? So let’s keep it easy this Thanksgiving!

In any case, there are some favorite holiday dishes that I am absolutely crazy for, and quite good at making. Butternut Squash is one of the most versatile foods that is in season this time of year that you can do just about anything with to prep it: cube it, roast it, boil it, or even make it in to a liquid soup.

For the rest of the cooking? I’m leaving that one to Whole Foods this year. Like a good business woman and entrepreneur, I’ve learned to take on the tasks that are my strengths, and outsource or delegate the rest to more skilled parties, making best use of my time and energy. Order up your meal online to save time and sanity, so you don’t need to feel like you have to do it all in the kitchen to please your guests. It’s simple, it’s easy, with high-quality ingredients in all of their menu items, and reasonably priced for both individual dishes and full course packages. Here’s a trick: if you want to impress the in-laws, you can just order online, pick up, plate yourself, and take all the credit. We won’t tell Whole Foods, it’s a secret!

What I can offer is a killer Butternut Squash recipe that can be dressed up in a multitude of ways after! To start, here’s the basic recipe, and I’ll share some pairing ideas to complete your holiday meal below in this blog to go with the Butternut Squash recipe for both Vegans (like myself) and non-Vegans (like the rest of my family).

CINNAMON ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

PREP TIME: 15 minutes prep, 30 minutes bake
SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Butternut Squash, peeled and diced (about 8 cups)
• 2 tbsp virgin coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• Sea salt + pepper to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400•
2. Halve the squash, lengthwise. Scoop out seeds, peel, then dice in to 1” cubes
3. In a large bowl, add diced squash, coconut oil, sea salt and cinnamon, and toss
4. Place on a large baking sheet, spreading out on a single layer
5. Bake 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, or until tender and slightly brown

From here, you can do just about anything with these little tasty cubes of healthy carbohydrates, along with a heaping dose of Vitamin A and C, plus potassium. Add to a bed of fresh kale salad, mix it in a blend of quinoa and roasted cranberries, or, if you have a lot left over, blend it up in to a soup for a secondary meal. But, I promise you, any part of this you prep won’t last long enough to consider a Thanksgiving left-over recipe!

INGREDIENTS

PEEL + DICE

SAVE TIME. EAT WELL.

Time to implement the secret plan: order the rest of the meal from Whole Foods online and let’s play chef! Here’s three full-course meal plans I’d recommend to complete and compliment the above recipe:

MEAL 1

• Salt + Pepper Turkey Breast (Main)
• {Vegan} Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts (Side)
• Apple Pie

MEAL 2

• {Vegan} Roasted Mustard-Glazed Whole Cauliflower (Main)
• {Vegan} Lentil Mushroom Stuffing (Side)
• {Vegan} Pumpkin Pie

MEAL 3

• {Vegan} Gardein Vegan Holiday Roast (Main)
• {Vegan} Sauerkraut-Roasted Rainbow Carrots (Side)
• {Vegan} Fresh fruit