Sunday Supper: Butternut Squash Salad & Pumpkin Choc Chip Cookies

Because Sunday Supper is something my family and friends so look forward to each week, I've decided to start documenting and recording successful recipes here on my blog! As any mother knows, putting a good and healthy meal together during the week requires nap-time prep, because it is near impossible to peel, chop, simmer, or sauté while you have a tantrum throwing toddler at your feet who just wants to be part of the process. Therefore, in our house, we prep meats and side dishes on the weekend so that dinner is readily available on weeknights. While I would love to spend time each day in the kitchen creating something delicious, it's just not logical while in my senior year of school with a husband who also works long hours. Cooking, baking, grilling, and enjoying meals with our close friends are so valuable to us that we decided to dedicate at least one night of the week where we can focus on just that: Sunday Supper. This evening seriously fuels my cooking-love-tank, leaving me refreshed (belly full) and ready for a great week! 

This salad combines some of my favorite flavors of fall: roasted butternut squash, fresh pomegranate seeds, candied bacon, leafy spinach, perfectly grilled chicken, and a maple dijon vinaigrette. This chicken can also be roasted, but the weather is too perfect right now not to enjoy some extra time outside on the grill. 

Butternut Squash & Spinach Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette 
Serves 6

• For the salad:
• 8 strips bacon
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 3 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced into ½" cubes
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1½ cups walnuts, roughly chopped
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cups fresh chopped baby spinach
• 2 cups crumbled Feta cheese
• 1 medium pomegranate, seeded
• 5 large chicken breasts, grilled, and sliced
• For maple Dijon vinaigrette:
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup canola oil
• pinch sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line 3 sheet pans with foil.
2. For candied bacon, place bacon strips on one of the prepared sheet pans. Sprinkle evenly with half of the brown sugar. Place in oven for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and flip bacon strips to opposite side. Sprinkle with the remaining half of the brown sugar. Return to oven and bake for another 8-12 minutes, or until deep golden brown (amount of time will depend on your oven and the thickness of the bacon). Remove bacon to a sheet of foil or parchment paper and allow to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, slice bacon, width-wise, into ¼" slices. Set aside.
3. Place diced butternut squash on the second sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place in oven for about 15-20 minutes or until tender, but not mushy. Gently stir halfway through baking time. Remove from oven and set aside.
4. Place walnuts on 3rd sheet pan. Drizzle with the 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Toss well and place in oven for about 8 minutes or until beginning to turn golden. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
5. Arrange candied bacon, feta, spinach, butternut squash, pomegranate seeds and walnuts in  rows on salad plates or shallow bowls. Drizzle with dressing and divide between 6 individual plates.
6. For the vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in a medium size jar. Cover with lid and shake!

We also treat ourselves on Sunday with a dessert... since it is October and I haven't enjoy much baking time lately- I made these chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies this afternoon. They were a crowd pleaser and not a single one remained uneaten! 

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen

1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter

3/4 cup brown brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 tablespoons pumpkin purée

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Combine the butter and sugars until mixed well (mixture will be thick). Add the vanilla and pumpkin and mix until smooth. 

2. Combine all the dry ingredients and add to the rest mixing just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. 

3. Bake rounded balls of dough (I used a 1 inch cookie scoop) on an ungreased cookie sheet or silicone baking mat at 350ºF for about 12-17 minutes or just until they start to puff up a little. Cool slightly before removing from pan.

My bestie Christina (who tag teamed this salad with me), her daughter Roma, her sister Catherine, and my mom and dad joined us tonight for dinner. It was loud with two noisy kids, but everyone loved this salad and wanted to take leftovers home for lunch (too bad we ate it all!). W asked to get down from his chair, walked over to Roma's high chair and started to feed her some squash. After some playtime and a dance party later, we parted ways to prep for another work/school week. Until next Sunday Supper...

xo,

Monica