Cooking A Top Round Roast

Fact: Virtually everything tastes better with a little bit of bacon, and acorn squash is no exception. The GH Test Kitchen's twist on the classic fall side dish features hearty roasted acorn squash topped with a satisfyingly sweet maple-bacon drizzle — yes, our mouths are watering just thinkingabout it.

Whether you're adding this recipe to your Thanksgiving menu or cooking it up to pair with a low-key autumn dinner, take note of these expert tips before you get roasting:

Find the perfect squash. When you're at the grocery store, look out for an acorn squash that feels surprisingly heavy for its size. If it seems too light, that means the seeds have started to dry out and the meat of the squash will be stringy.
Save the excess bacon fat for later. No need to let this tasty stuff go to waste: When you're done frying up the bacon in step 7, use a spoon to transfer the excess grease from your pan into a ramekin. Store the covered dish in your refrigerator, and pull it back out when you want to add a pop of flavor to a stir-fry or scrambled eggs.
Make it vegetarian. Feeding a crowd with dietary restrictions? This recipe is just as good when you skip the bacon.

Yields: 8 - 10 servings

Prep Time: 0 hours 20 mins

Total Time: 0 hours 50 mins

large acorn squash (about 4 lbs)

1/4 c.

butter, melted

2 tbsp.

dark brown sugar

1 tsp.

kosher salt

1/2 tsp.

black pepper

bacon slices, chopped

1 tbsp.

chopped rosemary leaves

1/2 c.

maple syrup

2 tbsp.

red wine vinegar

fresh rosemary and freshly ground black pepper

This ingredient shopping module is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content on their web site.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cut each acorn squash in half and scoop out seeds. Cut each half into 1-inch-wide wedges. In a bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, and salt. Add squash to butter mixture; toss to combine.
Arrange squash on baking sheets in single layer. Bake 20 minutes at 400°F. Turn squash over, and bake 10 more minutes or until tender.
Meanwhile, sprinkle bacon with black pepper, then sauté in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel-lined plate. Drain drippings, reserving 1 tbsp. in skillet.
Cook rosemary in hot drippings for 1 minute. Stir in syrup, then stir in vinegar. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until reduced by almost half.
Arrange squash on a serving platter. Drizzle with warm maple mixture and crumble reserved bacon over squash. Sprinkle with additional rosemary sprigs and pepper.

Kate Bennis

This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Heather Finn Content Strategy Editor Heather Finn is the content strategy editor at Good Housekeeping, where she heads up the brand's social media strategy and covers entertainment news on everything from ABC's 'The Good Doctor' to Netflix's latest true crime documentaries.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io