The flavors of Fall kill my waist line. It’s the season of comfort food at it’s best! However, there are many things that are actually healthy, rich with flavor & so delicious that you can eat that are seasonal.
Take this Butternut Squash Salad for example. Ohmyheavens. This is one of my all time favorite salads. I’ve shared it before on this blog & I’ve also shared this amazing tip….
You see, I buy the Butternut Squash already prepped!!!! It’s such a time saver, not to mention easy! My kids love it & so do I. Last Fall, I discovered it at WALMART! (No, this isn’t a sponsored post) but I wanted to share that anyone can purchase this in your local super market & best of all the work is already done for you. I also discovered, that my kids will eat it up when I serve it family style on a large platter like the above.
They don’t care for the goat cheese, and one of my kids doesn’t care for greens, but if I serve it like this, my picky eaters can get what they like, while Mom still has it all there ready at the table for her. #winning
Since I'm boosting that this is kid friendly, I do not add Balsamic Dressing to the kids' salads. I allow them to pick their salad dressing of choice. But I do highly recommend Balsamic Dressing for this salad. We use Agave or Brown Sugar Splenda as a sweetner for the Squash. We find it works just as good, and limits the amount of sugar in the kids' diets.
Ingredients
- 2 bags of Butternut Squash already prepped
- 2-3 Tablespoons of Agave, Honey or Brown Sugar
- Fresh Spinach or mixed greens for a large salad
- 1 cup of dried cranberries
- 5-7 slices of bacon, cooked & crumbled
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup of crumbled goat cheese (depending on your family's preference)
- Balsamic Vinaigrette
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400*
- Place foil over a baking sheet
- Rinse your Butternut Squash & place on your foiled lined baking sheet
- Drizzle either Agave, Honey or Brown Sugar over your cubed Butternut Squash & bake for 25-30 minutes
- On a platter while your Butternut Squash is baking, spread your washed greens on a plate
- Cluster in groups on top of your greens the cranberries, goat cheese and bacon
- Once your Butternut Squash is baked, place on top of the greens
- Serve it family style allowing your kids to pick what they like
I’m constantly in search of easy& fast ideas. We all are busy, we all have things to get done. This salad offers both key things, an easy tip to save time in the kitchen AND some healthy tips for the kids to eat!
I mean, well…maybe bacon isn’t all that healthy – but it’s bacon! My kids will eat it up with the Butternut Squash & the cranberries! So I don’t hesitate serving this very often in our home.
I promise you’re kids will love the Squash if you sweeten it & allow them to pick their other favorites in the salad. I do not make them eat what they don’t care for, I figure if your getting them to eat at least one veggie per meal, you’re doing a great job!
Besides…what they don’t eat is more for you, right???