This is a guest post by our newest personal trainer, Megan.

Butternut squash is one of my favorite foods! Did you know that one half-cup of butternut squash provides 150% of your required daily Vitamin A, and about 25% of your daily Vitamin C?

If you’ve never tried butternut squash, this would be a good week to do so, and this dish is a great way to try it out. I made it for my family last Thanksgiving, and it was a big hit with everyone!

Wild Rice Pilaf with Roasted Butternut Squash

To make this dish vegetarian, use vegetable broth, not chicken.

1 ½ cups cubed butternut squash (about 1 medium squash)

1 Tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 Tbsp butter

¼ cup chopped celery

¼ cup chopped carrot

¼ cup chopped yellow onion

3 cups cooked wild rice*

1 tsp chopped fresh sage (or ½ tsp dried sage)

½ cup chicken or vegetable broth

½ cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (Note that your rice should be already cooked.*)

2. Mix squash, olive oil, salt, and pepper until squash is evenly coated. Spread on a baking sheet and bake until squash is roasted and tender, about 30-40 minutes.

3. Heat butter in a pan over medium heat. Once melted, add the celery, carrot, and onion and cook until softened, about 6-8 minutes.

4. Add the sage, cooked wild rice, and broth to the pan. Cook until the liquid from the broth is absorbed, about 5-6 minutes.

5. Stir in the roasted squash and dried cranberries. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh celery leaves if desired, and serve immediately.

*To cook wild rice, combine 1 cup dried rice with 3 cups broth or water and ½ tsp salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered until rice is tender, about 45-60 minutes. You can make the rice the night before, if you like.

(Original recipe and photo from Wisconsin From Scratch)

Following nutrition data via myfitnesspal.com, based on 4 servings, made with vegetable broth:

Nutrition Facts
Servings 4.0
Amount Per Serving                 % Daily Value *
Calories 308
Total Fat 9 g 14 %
    Saturated Fat 3 g 13 %
    Monounsaturated Fat 5 g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 2 g
    Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 8 mg 3 %
Sodium 132 mg 5 %
Potassium 527 mg 15 %
Total Carbohydrate 54 g 18 %
    Dietary Fiber 5 g 22 %
    Sugars 16 g
Protein 6 g 12 %
Vitamin A 232 %
Vitamin C 35 %
Calcium 6 %
Iron 9 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.