Butternut Squash, Bacon & Goat’s Cheese Salad

I made loads to have as leftovers all week…because I’m cunning like that

Judging from the freshness of the produce and the expiry dates on most of its goods, my local supermarket thinks it’s October circa 2005.

I spent what felt like hours rummaging through their cheese section to find a goat’s cheese that wasn’t in peak condition around the time we were all panicking about the Millenium bug.

you could swap out the squash for pumpkin if you want a Halloween appropriate version

Eventually I found one and that time spent cursing and alarming every shopper within earshot was worth it.

Because this was the salad of my dreams – filling, rich and very delicious.

It’s easy to put together, there’s no special dressing and you can adapt it to your taste. For instance, nuts might be a good addition.

I used streaky bacon but go with whatever you have on hand

I’ll skip them for now – the thought of eating nuts that expired before Columbus discovered America isn’t that tempting.

Butternut Squash, Bacon & Goat’s Cheese Salad (serves 3-4)

• 1/2 butternut squash, de-seeded, peeled and diced
• 4 slices bacon
• 2 spring/green onions, finely chopped
• 2 oz goat’s cheese, crumbled
• 1 tbsp bacon fat

• Heat the bacon fat and toss the squash in it until well coated. Season generously and put into a shallow baking dish. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes until the squash is tender but not mushy.
• Fry the bacon until brown. Remove from pan and cut into small pieces.
• Toss the squash cubes with the bacon, onion and goat’s cheese. Eat immediately or chill for later.

Like this? You might also like:

• Spicy Butternut Squash Soup
• Fennel & Parsley Stuffed Butternut Squash
• Brussel Sprouts, Goat’s Cheese & Pistachio Salad

This post was also shared at Party Wave Wednesday