Roasted Butternut Squash with Onion and Blue Cheese

I've had a butternut squash camping out in my fruit bowl for a couple weeks now, waiting for inspiration to hit. The other night, I knew it was going to be part of dinner, as my produce selection was getting sparse, but I wanted to do something fun. That afternoon I found in my mailbox, the latest issue of Everyday Food.

I began to flip through it, and just pages in, found the inspiration I needed. While their recipe was a complete meal with pork tenderloin, I borrowed their concept and made it a side dish, adjusting the cooking temperature so I could cook it along with the rest of our meaI. I swapped the red onion for a yellow one, used dried thyme instead of fresh sage, and added crumbled blue cheese at the end. I absolutely loved this and the combination of flavors. Sage ate his, but said it was a "little much." I believe that's just because he likes stronger cheeses in small doses. Personally, I found the addition of the blue cheese to be what made this dish, but if you're not a huge fan, omit it or use it sparingly.

Adapted from Roasted Pork with Squash and Onions, Everyday Food, March 2010 (2-3 servings, as a side)

1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch(ish) cubes

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

3/4 tsp dried thyme

1/2 of an medium orange

1-2 oz. crumbled blue cheese, or as desired

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together butternut, onion and oil. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Roast until tender, about 25 minutes.

Squeeze orange half over roasted vegetables. Gently scrap up any browned bits using a wooden spoon. Transfer contents of baking sheet, including juice, to a serving platter. Top with desired amount of blue cheese. Serve warm.