with white balsamic hot honey AND lemony garlicky crispy panko
This is one of those dinners where the sheet pan is doing a lot of the work while you’re puttering around making things taste even better because what else do you have to do other than (obviously) opening the wine…
Butternut squash gets roasted until caramelized and tender, then halloumi and butter beans join the party… the halloumi gets golden and squeaky, the butter beans pick up some crispy edges, and everything gets finished with white balsamic hot honey, crunchy lemony garlicky panko and a smattering of fresh parsley.
It’s sweet, salty, spicy, creamy and crunchy all at once… texture heaven… exactly how I want pretty much everything I eat to be.
my pro tips for making the best ever sheet pan butternut squash, halloumi and butter beans
dry the butter beans: this is worth the extra minute. Patting them dry helps them roast rather than steam and gives you those super lovely crispy edges.
don’t crowd the pan: spread everything into an even layer with a little breathing room so everything can brown and caramelize. If your sheet pan is on the smaller side, use two pans rather than piling everything together.
leave the thyme sprigs whole: they’re there to perfume the squash while it roasts. Just remove the woody stems before serving if they haven’t already fallen away so you don’t spend dinner time picking them out of your teeth.
drizzle, don’t drown: the hot honey is sweet, tangy and spicy, so start with a good drizzle and add more at the table if you want. You may not eat it all and you want some of that crispy panko to stay crispy. If you have extra hot honey leftover may I recommend a good drizzle of it on some ricotta toast or brie cheese? thanks.
Scroll past the recipe if you’re looking for tips, substitutions, questions, etc. and details on how to make this recipe, but if you want to get straight to it, here’s my recipe-ish…
Sheet Pan Butternut Squash, Halloumi & Butter Beans with White Balsamic Hot Honey
Ingredients
for the sheet pan:
- 1 medium butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 red onion chopped
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3-4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 can 540 mL / 19 oz butter beans, drained, rinsed and dried well
- 350 g halloumi cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
for the white balsamic hot honey:
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- pinch of salt
for the lemony garlicky toasted panko:
- 1/2 cup panko
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove finely grated
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- pinch of salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
to finish:
- roughly chopped parsley
Instructions
the roasting:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Add the butternut squash and red onion to a large sheet pan. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with the cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Toss everything together and spread into an even layer.
- Roast for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and add the butter beans and the halloumi to the sheet pan, drizzle with the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil and gently toss everything together.
- Return the pan to the oven for another 15-20 minutes, until the squash is tender and caramelized, the red onion is soft and jammy, the halloumi is golden and the butter beans have a few crispy edges.
make the white balsamic hot honey:
- add the honey, white balsamic vinegar, chili flakes and a pinch of salt to a small saucepan over low heat. Warm gently, stirring until combined. Set aside.
make the lemony garlicky panko:
- heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the panko, lemon zest, salt, pepper and garlic and cook, stirring often, until golden and crisp.
- put it all together: transfer the roasted squash, halloumi and butter beans to a serving platter. Drizzle generously with the white balsamic hot honey, then scatter over the lemony garlicky panko and chopped parsley.
recipe substitutions and variations
squash: you can use another type of squash or even peeled sweet potato in place of the butternut squash. Cut it into similar sized cubes so everything cooks evenly.
butter beans: cannellini beans work well here too, although butter beans are especially good because they’re so creamy inside.
white balsamic: regular balsamic vinegar can be used in a pinch, but the white balsamic keeps the hot honey bright and lightly tangy without turning it dark.
make it spicier: increase the chili flakes in the hot honey and/or add a pinch of cayenne.
serving suggestions
my way: this is it for me… just how it is. Sheet pan on the table. Drizzle. Sprinkle. EAT.
the vegetarian dinner party: make this for an absolutely show-stopping vegetarian dinner with a nice little green salad on the side and some really good crusty bread.
the non-vegetarian dinner party: serve this alongside a beautiful roasted chicken or pork tenderloin.
storing leftovers and make-ahead details for this sheet pan butternut squash, halloumi and butter beans
to store: keep the roasted vegetables, halloumi and butter beans covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store the toasted panko separately so it stays crunchy.
make-ahead: you can roast the squash, onion and butter beans a few hours ahead and reheat everything in the oven just before serving. The halloumi is best freshly roasted, so if you can, add it for the final roast right before serving.
the hot honey: the white balsamic hot honey can be made a few days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Warm it gently before serving if it thickens up.
the panko: the lemony garlicky panko can be made a day or two ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature. Add it right before serving to keep all that crunch.
This is one of those recipes that makes vegetarian dinner feel pretty darn exciting. If you’re into big flavours and all the texture, you might also want to try my French Onion Soup Pasta, Tuscan Soup with Canellini Beans, or my Lemon Pesto Lasagna… then tell me what time to come over.
Don’t forget to drop a comment and rate the recipe below – it helps me out so much! And if you post this recipe, tag me over on Instagram @thepyperskitchen so I can see your amazing eats.
