Gluten Free Butternut Squash & Sausage Skillet

Oh hey fall, it’s about time you decided to show up. Two days ago it was 90 degrees and I thought you took a plunge off a bridge and were never coming back.

but you’re here, you lil jokester.

and now i can finally post recipes for cooler weather without any bitterness.so stay awhile. i’m much better with you in it. boop.

but for real you guys. it was a little touch and go there earlier this week. was about to barrel roll myself out of my jeep on the highway, no joke. okay maybe a little joke. but there was a brief moment in the car where…..
okay no there wasn’t. or if there was i’ll spare you the details.

lets just say i was sweaty and gross, and there was a frizzy hair that kept getting in my eye and i was getting super frustrated. and all i could do was blame the heat. and not the fact that the doors of my jeep have been off and if they were on life wouldn’t have been a total struggle on my commute home from work.

okay. rant over. for now.

any who i’ve been super busy between work and wedding season that cooking and then posting immediately just hasn’t happened. i think mostly because the recipe development/cooking and taking pictures bit is my FAVORITE part of the process and then I constantly struggle with what to write on here. Not that I don’t have thoughts or want you to read them… But it’s always a fine line between what I want to share vs what I should share. Am I always truly upfront and honest with you on here?

yes.

but i don’t share everything.

mostly because if i start writing down my faults it makes me feel like they have won. and i don’t want my handicaps to define who i am as a person. anyone else have an issue of making yourself appear to be super vulnerable? or how do you deal (whether you have a blog or not, just life in general).

anyways. i feel like that’s as deep into my emotions as i am going to get today… because… well its FRIDAY. who needs a debbie downer when we can save that business for MONDAY!?

so i’m going to share this SUPER easy and semi healthy meal that i can eat for days. and it’s easy enough that i can make it at least once a week. and it’s tasty enough so i don’t feel guilty for making the same meal, multiple times a month.

ALSO. On a side note. I decided to share a couple more images from my trip to Shawnee National Forest, in Southern Illinois. If you live in the midwest and are super bored, i suggest taking a trip out there. Can easily be a day trip (thats what we did). You can also take a canoe tour, which we did, see here. Though if you have a small child who likes to wiggle around, I recommend skipping. Seriously. Skip and never look back. I didn’t skip, and I had instant regrets when David started complaining 20 seconds into our first paddle. talk about patience. i had none.

so the recipe. get you some and let me know your thoughts. because that helps me!

Recipe Notes:

You could easily buy precut butternut squash cubes (trader joes has the best deal) but if you decide to cut the squash into cubes on your own MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A GOOD SHARP KNIFE.

let me repeat.

make sure your knife isn’t a dull dawn or else you run the risk of losing a finger. or just losing your cool. one or the other, both no fun.

you don’t have to serve this over a bed of arugula but honestly i think it pairs really well together. baby spinach could work well here too. i’d stay away from kale. mostly because its gross in raw form. but that’s just me.

feel free to sub the sausage for a vegan alternative… or mushrooms. gag. i don’t eat mushrooms (in whole form, if they are minced and you can trick me into eating them, that’s fine) but meat haters always rave about mushrooms and their “meaty” comparison so i am just going to assume this substitute would work. let me know if you do it.

i kept it minimal on the spice addition because the italian sausage is heavily seasoned. IF you do decide to do a substitute i would recommend just adding italian seasoning… duh…. or some garlic powder + onion powder + maybe a coupe of toasted fennel seeds. the usual.

Gluten Free Butternut Squash & Sausage Skillet

Nutrition Information

• Serves: 4-6

• Serving size: 2 cups
• Calories: 396

• Fat: 18.6g
• Saturated fat: 7.3g
• Carbohydrates: 36.2g
• Fiber: 7.4g
• Protein: 27.3g

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  45 mins

Total time:  55 mins

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Ingredients

• 1 medium sized butternut squash (about 4 cups of squash cut up into ½" cubes)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp coarse black pepper
• 1 lb sweet italian sausage (casings removed)
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 can 8oz crushed roasted tomatoes
• ½ cup cheddar pieces
• 4 cups fresh arugula

Instructions

1. First preheat your oven to 425.
2. On a rimmed baking sheet add your butternut squash, sprinkle with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt & black pepper. Toss and place into oven for about 25 minutes, or until squash is roasted (you can pierce it w/ a fork).
3. While the squash is roasting brown your italian sausage in a cast iron skillet, or any skillet that is oven safe.
4. Once sausage is browned, remove into a separate container until needed, keeping at least ½ of the fat still in the pan.
5. Over medium heat add your onion to the pan and cook in the fat for about 5 minutes.
6. Next remove from heat and add your roasted tomatoes, cooked sausage and roasted butternut squash. Toss. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Next add your cheddar pieces on top of squash.
8. Place back into preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese has completely melted.
9. Remove from oven and serve over fresh arugula or a la carte!

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