Dennis Prescott

Friends, Fall is here. Full swing. The trees are red, orange, and looking legit. Pumpkins, squash, and hoodies as far as the eye can see. And I think I love it.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, summer is my jam. Absolutely. Unquestionably. My. Jam. But there’s something incredible about fall. Fall flavours are fantastic. You get to wear layers again (bonus!). And it’s the last dance before Winter blankets the earth for a few months.

I’ve always been a huge food fan of all things fall. Pumpkins (both pie and non-pie), root vegetables, all things apples. They have my heart. There’s so much you can do with fall ingredients. A serious world of possibilities. Can it doughnut? Yes it can. I’ll forever be led by my undying passion for comfort food, and fall prime for comforting food. So crazy delicious.

So this week, I sat down and wrote out a list of all the Fall based things I want to make this year. While watching all three Hunger Games films. Seriously, so good! I know I’m super late to the party, but my sweet gravy I was into it. Wowza.

These muffins are breakfast in a little cup. Super savoury & full of seasonal goodness. You can roast the squash a day in advance to cut down on time, if you’d like. Give them a go. So good.

Roasted Squash Muffins with Feta & Sage

Makes 12

You’ll need:

6 slices of bacon

2 cups butternut squash (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 bunch of sage, leaves picked (about 12)

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cloves of garlic, grated

1/4 cup green onions, finely diced

1 cup + 1/4 cup, divided feta cheese

2 eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup yoghurt

1/2 cup olive oil

Bake time!

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Toss your prepared squash in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and transfer them to a baking sheet. Roast, turning half way through, for 25 minutes, until cooked through and softened. Set aside.

Heat a pan over medium, and add your bacon. Fry until nice and crispy (about 10 minutes). Allow the bacon to cool, and break into small 1/4 inch pieces. Add your sage leaves to the remaining fat in the pan, and fry for 2 – 3 minutes, until crispy. Set aside.

In one bowl, combine your flour, salt, cayenne, baking powder, and sugar, and mix together. In another, crack in your eggs and give them a whisk. Add your olive oil, yoghurt, milk, buttermilk, and whisk them other. Add the wet to the dry ingredients, and mix well. Stir in your squash, 1 cup of feta, grated garlic, bacon, green onions, and sage. Reserve a few pieces of sage to sprinkle on top of the muffins. Mix the lot together until smooth. Add your reserved sage and crumble over 1/4 cup more of feta.

Prepare a 12 cup muffin tin with liners, and add 2 1/2 heaping tablespoons of batter to each. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Breakfast = Sorted.

Eat delicious.