Apple Maple Sausage, Harvest Grains, Roasted Butternut Squash

As much as I love summer, it’s not the same anymore when you’re a grown-up! I miss the days of sleeping late, watching tv, going to the pool, maybe doing a few chores, and hanging out with friends at the park while eating ice cream (that one’s for you, Ingrid!).
Fall is by far my most favorite season of the year. The days are still warm, but the nights are cool and crisp. The leaves turn beautiful colors, and the fall harvest is my favorite produce time. I absolutely love apples, squash, pumpkins, corn, and anything you can go pick on a hayride trip. From apple cider to homemade caramel apples… there’s nothing like it. So for tonight, I decided to make a recipe that I was going to post on the first day of fall, but I just can’t wait any longer! It’s very simple, yet the taste is out of this world!

Apple-Maple Chicken Sausage, Caramelized Roasted Butternut Squash, and Harvest Couscous with Apple Pan Sauce

Sausage:

2 links of Apple-Maple Chicken Sausage (Trader Joes)

1 tbsp. EVOO

Caramelized Roasted Butternut Squash:

1 large butternut squash, cubed

Salt and Pepper

2 tbsp. light brown sugar

1 tbsp. EVOO

Harvest Cous Cous:

¾ c. harvest grain blend (from Trader Joes, a mix of Israeli Cous Cous, Red Quinoa, Baby Garbanzos, and Orzo)

1 ¼ c. chicken stock

1 sprig fresh thyme

Pan Sauce:

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. flour

½ c. apple cider (or Simply Apple)

½ c. chicken stock

Salt and Pepper

½ tsp. dried thyme

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Dice butternut squash into 1” chunks. Spread over sheet pan, drizzle with EVOO, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Toss to coat all pieces, and roast for 30 minutes.

While squash roasts, put sausage in a nonstick skillet. Add 1 tbps. EVOO and ¼” of water. Put over medium-high heat, and let the water cook off.

While sausage cooks, bring stock to a boil in a small stock pot. Add thyme and cous cous blend, cover, turn the heat to low and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Once sausage water has evaporated, toss the sausage to brown on all sides. When it’s brown, remove from the pan, and turn heat to medium. Add butter to the sausage pan, when it melts, add the flour. Whisk flour to make a roux, when the flour is no longer white, add the apple cider and chicken stock. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Bring to a bubble until desired viscosity is reached.

To serve, plate sausage slices, cous cous, squash, and drizzle with the pan sauce.

(The two star ingredients from TJ's)