Roasted Cauliflower And Butternut Squash With Bacon

Low-carb roasted cauliflower and butternut squash with bacon

This low-carb sheet pan dish is perfect for busy weeknights as it’s relatively quick and simple to prepare! You’ll use cut cauliflower and butternut squash and, for added flavor and protein, red onion, bacon, and spinach.

The dish is then pulled together with a delicious sugar-free dressing, made with Lakanto Golden Monk Fruit Sweetener, which perfectly complements the naturally-sweet flavors of the roasted squash and the saltiness of the bacon.

The recipe calls for paprika and cumin, but you can switch up the spices and add some heat with chili powder, or even ground cayenne pepper. Make it your own and use what you have on-hand! So long as you stick with savory or lightly sweeten spices that aren’t too overpowering, it should work just fine.

If you are watching your carb intake closely and want to lessen the carb content per serving, substitute the butternut squash for some fresh pie pumpkin, which you can typically find in your grocery store during the fall months of the year. You will get all of the same flavors as the original recipe is written, but 1.5 grams of net carbs less per serving.

Alternatively, lessen the amount of butternut squash used and add more cauliflower as cauliflower contains fewer carbs.

Low-carb butternut squash and cauliflower with bacon recipe FAQs

Here are answers to the most commonly asked question about this recipe:

What ingredient substitution options are there?

• Butternut Squash: Substituting the butternut squash for pie pumpkin 1:1 will reduce the carb content from 7.2g to 5.7g per serving. You can find pie pumpkins at most grocery stores during the fall months. If you are concerned about the carb content, you can also choose to decrease the amount of butternut squash you include and offset it by adding more cauliflower.
• Red Onion: Yellow onions, white onions, shallots, or scallions can be substituted here at a 1:1 ratio. If you use scallions, just note they will cook much quicker than the red onions, so keep an eye on them to avoid burning, or wait to add them to the pan until towards the end of the bake time.
• Bacon: Turkey bacon or pancetta can be used in place of pork bacon here. Both options tend to be thinner than pork bacon, so consider adding a few extra pieces.
• Spinach: If you don’t have fresh spinach on hand, you can use thawed and drained frozen spinach at a 1:1 ratio. Arugula or baby kale could also be subbed in for spinach.
• Avocado Oil: You can substitute olive oil for avocado oil 1:1.
• Dijon Mustard: Spicy brown mustard, yellow mustard, or stone ground mustard can all be substituted without altering the net carb count.
• Golden Monk Fruit Sweetener: Classic Monk Fruit Sweetener, Swerve, or erythritol can be used here at a 1:1 substitution ratio. Note that if you make any substitutions to the Golden Monk Fruit Sweetener, the flavor of the dressing may be slightly different than the original recipe intended.
• Sour Cream: You can omit the sour cream if you don’t have any on-hand, or if you want the recipe to be dairy-free and/or paleo. If dairy isn’t an issue, but you don’t want to use sour cream, you can substitute full-fat Greek yogurt for the sour cream, but note that this will change the carb content slightly.

How do I safely cut a butternut squash?

Follow these instructions on how properly and safely cut butternut squash.

Alternatively, you can use pre-cut butternut squash, which is sometimes sold at grocery stores in the produce section. Frozen butternut squash should also work here.

Where can I buy monk fruit sweetener?

I purchase mine from Lakanto and have it delivered. If you want to do this, you can use discount code REALBALANCED at checkout for 20% OFF your Lakanto order.

If you’d rather purchase monk fruit sweetener in a store, many grocery stores, especially specialty stores and Costco, carry Lakanto’s monk fruit sweetener.

How many net carbs per serving? Can the carb content per serving be lessened?

Per serving, this low-carb butternut squash recipe contains 7.2 grams of net carbs. The recipe, as written, yields 6 servings. Net carbs are calculated by taking total carbs, subtracting fiber, and subtracting sugar alcohols.

To reduce the net carb content per serving, use pie pumpkin. Or, alternatively, you can lessen the butternut squash used and add more cauliflower.

The full nutrition information for this recipe, including the calorie content, total carbs, protein, and fat per serving, can be found in the nutrition label located below the recipe instructions.

What diets is this recipe compliant with?

• Low-Carb: Each serving of this recipe contains only 7.2 grams of net carbs, which makes it a great low-carb dinner option. Depending on your daily macros, this recipe may or may not fit into a ketogenic diet. If you want to lessen the carbs per serving, follow the substitution suggestions as written above and below in the recipe card.
• Nut-Free: There are no nuts or nut products in this recipe.
• Coconut-Free: No coconut products are used in this recipe.
• Egg-Free: Eggs are not used here.
• Dairy-Free: This recipe can be made dairy-free by omitting the sour cream.
• Primal: This recipe is compliant with a primal diet.
• Paleo: To make this recipe paleo-compliant, omit the sour cream.
• Refined Sugar-Free: This recipe does not include any refined sugar, and is, instead, sweetened with Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener in the dressing.

How should this recipe be stored after preparing?

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

If you are meal prepping this dish, I would suggest waiting to add the sour cream until you’re ready to eat.

How to make this low-carb butternut squash recipe with cauliflower and bacon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius).

To a small mixing bowl, add dressing ingredients (only add ¾ tsp salt at this time) and mix with a spoon to combine.

To a baking sheet, add butternut squash, cauliflower, and onion in an even layer.

Pour the prepared dressing atop the vegetables on the baking sheet and, using a spoon or your hands, coat vegetables in dressing.

Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, add bacon pieces to baking sheet and, using a tongs, incorporate into vegetables and dressing. Return baking sheet to oven and bake for additional 25 minutes.

After that, add spinach to baking sheet and, using a spoon, gently stir to mix through other ingredients.

Return baking sheet to oven to bake until bacon and vegetables are cooked through to your liking, about an additional 5 minutes.

Remove baking sheet from oven and allow to slightly cool before carefully taste-testing. Based on your preferences, add additional ¼ tsp salt, if desired. Serve with sour cream.

Looking for more low-carb recipes?

If you enjoyed this dish, you will love these:

• Loaded Low-Carb Cauliflower Salad
• Roasted Radishes
• Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus Bundles