Roasted Butternut Squash Tostadas with Hummus, Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese

Happy Christmas week, party people!

I’m pleased to report that I’ve really been crushing my holiday to-do list this year. The Christmas tree is lit and decorated (and it just happens to be the tallest/bushiest fir to have ever graced Chateau Logena’s living room), I’ve finished most of my shopping, and my lips have been a seasonally appropriate shade of red since Thanksgiving.

I’ve also managed my annual viewings of The Holiday, Elf and Love Actually ahead of schedule, which is quite a feat given my enthusiastic presence on the holiday party circuit of late. (In case you were wondering, the latter was my favorite this cycle. I watched it on my flight back from California on Sunday and shamelessly snotted all over Logan’s shoulder for two straight hours. If you don’t weep when Colin Firth proposes in shoddy Portuguese, you are a Grinch. No tostadas and wine for you!) My apartment smells like Pot of Christmas, and I even went to see the Rockettes high kick to my favorite holiday jamz this year!!

Long story short, I’m practically bursting at the seams with Christmas spirit. And I haven’t even opened any presents yet…

On top of the aforementioned Buddy the Elf activities, I’ve been busy busting out my favorite holiday foods and booze over the past few weeks. I obviously respect the classics—nothing says Christmas quite like foolproof crostini, triple crème brie, grapefruit-rosemary mules, and Ina’s beef tenderloin—but I’ve also been experimenting with a few slightly less traditional recipes, including these Roasted Butternut Squash Tostadas with Hummus, Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese.

These winter tostadas were born out of a craving for a nourishing, shareable meal that was light, yet still celebratory. I originally envisioned the vegetarian smorgasbord of hummus, caramelized onions, butternut squash, goat cheese, pomegranate and thyme as a tartine, but I decided to go the tostada route since I happened to have my favorite corn tortillas on hand. Not to toot my own holiday horn, but it was a truly excellent call. Thin, oven-crisped tostada shells let the toppings shine and add an addictive crunch to each sweet and savory bite.

I highly recommend serving these tostadas as a simple dinner or family lunch(??!), especially since they come together rather quickly, and you can use your favorite store-bought hummus if you’re feeling lazy and/or rushed. I went with a classic hummus, but if you’re into spicy, I urge you to consider a chipotle version. A little kick is never a bad thing, particularly when you’ve got the caramelized sweetness of butternut squash and creamy goat cheese to balance the heat. Just don’t skimp on the thyme. It may seem frivolous, but it adds a certain game-changing je ne sais quoi in the flavor department. Trust me.

Given that it’s the holiday season and Vinho Verde month, I’ve got a fabulous wine pairing for this fine recipe, and it’s, wait for it…a rosé. I know some of you think that rosé is a summer sip, but I’m a strong proponent of drinking pink wine year-round, especially a slightly more full-bodied one. I’ve become a big fan of Vinho Verde rosés, which are lively, fresh, and so easy to pair with lighter meals, and I urge you to consider adopting my winter rosé habit. The Tojeira Rosé, which is well balanced with a bit of fizz, is the perfect complement to these tostadas, but the Gazela Rosé is an equally great choice if the Tojeira is not available in your area. Both are delightful and over deliver for their (very accessible) price point.

Cheers to you and yours, friends! May your week be filled with all manner of love and deliciousness.

p.s. To my fellow finger food fetishists: Please consider making tiny tostadas on round corn chips or crackers. They’re adorable.

Roasted Butternut Squash Tostadas with Hummus, Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese: (Makes 8 tostadas)

Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and sliced into ½-inch cubes (about 4 cups cubed squash)
3 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
8 small (5- or 6-inch) corn tortillas
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup hummus
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons pomegranate arils (optional)

Roasted Butternut Squash Tostadas with Hummus, Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese:

-Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.

-Place the cubed squash on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, and toss to coat. Arrange the squash in an even layer. (Ideally, you want a little bit of space between the cubes.)

-Roast for 30 minutes until tender and lightly browned, stirring once halfway through the cooking time.

-Meanwhile, caramelize your onions. Heat 1½ tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the onions and a pinch of kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally until very soft, about 15-20 minutes. (Be careful not to burn the onions! If they start to brown, reduce the heat to medium-low.) Stir in the balsamic and cook for 1 minute more, then remove the onions from the heat and briefly set aside.

-Moving on to the tostada shells! Arrange the tortillas on a large baking sheet. Lightly brush both sides of the tortillas with the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil and season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.

-Bake for 6-8 minutes per side or until lightly browned and crisp. (Keep an eye on them, friends. They can go from browned to burnt very quickly.) If you’re capable of multitasking, I recommend baking the tostada shells during the last 15 minutes of the squash roasting time.

-Assembly time!

-Spread each tostada with about 2 tablespoons of hummus. Top with caramelized onions and roasted squash. Finish with a little crumbled goat cheese, a sprinkling of fresh thyme, and few pomegranate arils (if using), and serve!

Roasted Butternut Squash Tostadas with Hummus, Caramelized Onions, and Goat Cheese

Author - Serena Wolf

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Yields: 8 tostadas

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash peeled, seeded and sliced into ½-inch cubes (about 4 cups cubed squash)
• 3 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil divided
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 8 small 5- or 6-inch corn tortillas
• 1 large red onion thinly sliced
• 1½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup hummus
• 2 ounces goat cheese crumbled
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 3 tablespoons pomegranate arils optional

Instructions

• Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Place the cubed squash on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, and toss to coat. Arrange the squash in an even layer. (Ideally, you want a little bit of space between the cubes.) Roast for 30 minutes until tender and lightly browned, stirring once halfway through the cooking time.
• Meanwhile, caramelize your onions. Heat 1½ tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the onions and a pinch of kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally until very soft, about 15-20 minutes. (Be careful not to burn the onions! If they start to brown, reduce the heat to medium-low.) Stir in the balsamic and cook for 1 minute more, then remove the onions from the heat and briefly set aside.
• Moving on to the tostada shells! Arrange the tortillas on a large baking sheet. Lightly brush both sides of the tortillas with the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil and season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Bake for 6-8 minutes per side or until lightly browned and crisp. (Keep an eye on them, friends. They can go from browned to burnt very quickly.) If you’re capable of multitasking, I recommend baking the tostada shells during the last 15 minutes of the squash roasting time.
• Assembly time! Spread each tostada with about 2 tablespoons of hummus. Top with caramelized onions and roasted squash. Finish with a little crumbled goat cheese, a sprinkling of fresh thyme, and few pomegranate arils (if using), and serve!

This post is brought to you by my new friends at Vinho Verde, but all opinions are (very obviously) my own. Sponsored posts are few and far between around here, and I only endorse products and companies that I truly love. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Domesticate ME! alive and kicking!