Roasted butternut squash with fresh cranberries and feta is a healthy side dish recipe that’s so easy to make. Oven roasted squash and cranberries drizzled with honey combine for the perfect addition to a weeknight dinner or holiday meal.
I can’t get enough butternut squash, whether just roasted by itself, in soup or risotto or mixed with cranberries and feta. I love making this around the holidays when fresh cranberries are everywhere. However, cranberries freeze so well and I can find frozen cranberries at Whole Foods all year long. This is one of those recipes where you don’t need to use exact measurements, just throw in a handful of cranberries with your squash and season as you like.
Honey is added to offset the tart cranberries, but it only takes about a tablespoon because when the squash is roasted it is naturally sweet. So go light on the honey, you may need less than you think.
When you look at this you might not think that feta, cranberries and butternut squash would go well together, but you’ll be missing out if you don’t try this. The slightly salty feta combined with the tart cranberries make this an amazing side dish.
Don’t be put off by the fact that butternut squash takes some effort to cut. First of all, most groceries carry it already cubed in the produce section. However, it’s not that hard to peel and cut your own.
Tips for peeling and cutting a butternut squash
- You will need a vegetable peeler, but the skin can still be tough, so poke some holes in it with a fork and put it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes and then peel. This will soften the skin a bit.
- Once peeled, cut off the ends, you need a sturdy knife to cut a butternut squash.
- Cut it in half and then cut each half down the center.
- The fat end will have seeds, remove these with an ice cream scoop, it’s much easier than a spoon
- Now just slice and cut the slices into even cubes.
If you don’t have a heavy duty knife then I would not suggest cutting a butternut squash, stick with the precut package from the grocery.
How do you roast a butternut squash
Whether you’re making butternut squash with cranberries and feta or butternut squash galette or a roasted butternut squash salad, the method for roasting is the same.
Step 1: Toss the cubes in some olive oil, salt and pepper.
Step 2: Place the cubes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Step 3: Baked for 30 minutes. If making this recipe, take the squash out after 20 minutes and add the cranberries for the last 10 minutes.
Once the squash and cranberries are cooked, remove from the oven and drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon. Right before serving add the feta and serve warm.
More ways to use butternut squash
Roasting butternut squash will intensify the sweetness of this awesome vegetable. It’s great all by itself with salt and pepper but here are some other ideas to experiment with.
- Fifteen Spatulas has this yummy soup recipe
- Try mashing it like Spend with Pennies does
- Add it to some pasta for a delicious meal by Damned Delicious
Need some other side dish recipes
- Roasted carrots with a drizzle of vinaigrette dressing is a favorite
- Charred corn, while super simple is bursting with flavor
- Try roasting cauliflower in browned butter
- Crush and roast some new potatoes
Butternut Squash with Cranberries and Feta
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup feta cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º. Place parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Toss squash with olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic powder and pour onto prepared baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and add cranberries. Return to oven and roast an additional 10 minutes, until cranberries are soft and have burst slightly.
- Remove from oven and drizzle with honey and cinnamon. Add feta and serve.
Barbara's Tips + Notes
Nutrition
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We love this! Such a bright and delicious change from our usual plain baked squash. We are putting frozen cranberries in the freezer so we can continue to make it until the butternut squash is used up.
That’s a great idea.
I tried this first with the fresh cranberries and it was delicious but a bit too tart for some of my family. Next time I made it I cooked the squash for the entire 30 mins and then prior to serving added some dried and slightly sweetened cranberries with the feta and honey. So much better for us. Tip – do not try to add the dried cranberries in the last 10 mins of cooking as they turn to bullets. Love this recipe. So fresh and different. So colorful too.
Karen, what a great adaptation to add the dried cranberries instead of fresh, especially when it’s not cranberry season. I agree not to add them until the end!
Such a delicious recipe. For me I would stick to the fresh cranberries as I don’t see how the dried could do it justice. The tartness balances with the feta which is soooo good.
I do like the tartness the fresh cranberries add. Glad you liked it.
Made this recipe and followed the directions right up until I realized I didn’t have any honey. Oh no, what to do! Since I am a big fan of pepper jelly, I grabbed a jar from the fridge, put the pepper jelly, water and cranberries in a saucepan and simmered until the cranberries began to burst. I poured this mixture over the roasted butternut squash. Don’t forget the feta cheese. It takes this dish from good to perfect
I love that you improvised with pepper jelly, yum!
can I use craisins?
Yes, Craisins would be delicious.