Maple Bacon Pecan Roasted Butternut Squash

This is another PaleOMG blog recipe.  I made mine with turkey bacon and olive oil instead of regular bacon and bacon grease - one of my dinner guests doesn't eat pork.  I like this a whole lot.

INGREDIENTS

1 small to medium butternut squash, peeled and diced (about 5 cups)

6-8 slices bacon or turkey bacon

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil or bacon grease

1 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4-1/2 tsp salt

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.  Place bacon slices on the foil-lined baking sheet and cook about 20 minutes.  Bacon should be cooked, but not crunchy.  Remove from oven and chop bacon up.  If using real bacon, save the grease.

Up oven temperature to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together the squash, bacon, pecans, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, and bacon grease or olive oil.  Transfer to 9" x 11" or 13" glass baking pan.  Bake 40-45 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until squash is soft.