CRUNCHY HONEY-GLAZED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Crunchy Honey-Glazed Butternut Squash image

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 8

1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon dried thyme, divided
1 large butternut squash (about 5 pounds), peeled, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1-1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1-1/2 teaspoons pepper, divided
1/2 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375°. In a large saucepan, heat honey and 1/2 teaspoon thyme, stirring occasionally, over low heat until fragrant, 3-4 minutes., Meanwhile, in a large microwave-safe dish, combine squash and water; microwave, covered, on high until squash is tender, 6-8 minutes. Drain. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper; toss to coat., On a flat surface, stack squash slices. Arrange stacks on their sides in a greased 9-in. square baking dish. (To make stacking easier, set baking dish on end; fill with squash stacks. When dish is full, return to original position.) Drizzle 3 tablespoons honey mixture over squash., Bake until squash is tender, 45-50 minutes. In a small skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add bread crumbs; toss with remaining thyme and remaining salt and pepper. Cook and stir until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle over baked squash; if desired, drizzle with additional honey mixture.