Stuffed Acorn Squash: The Perfect Light Dinner

This is the perfect dish to serve when you’re looking for something light but satisfying.

You can serve it year round because acorn squash and most winter squash is available 365 days of the year. Of course during fall, it’s featured a lot in stores because it’s associated with Thanksgiving. In the autumn, it’s featured at great prices so now is the time to try this.

This stuffed acorn squash is very easy to make too. Since it takes time to bake the squash, this obviously isn’t a ready-in-15-minutes type of meal, but the prep and the cooking is extremely simple.

Choosing The Rice

Most any cooked rice will do so if you have any left over from another recipe or from an Asian take-out meal, use that. It’s a great way to use it too.

However, for these I used brown jasmine rice. It was the perfect variety to use too. Jasmine rice, in any form, has a wonderful flavor that adds so much to anything it’s paired with. The brown variety has all of the attributes of the white kind plus it has a great nutty taste.

If you don’t have any brown jasmine on hand, I really urge you to get a small bag with your next grocery order since it has such a fantastic taste, you’ll find many uses for it.

Nuts, Sausage, Etc

I used sweet Italian sausage and it was delicious. Of course you can use hot sausage–and that may be more convenient actually as it would eliminate the need for the red pepper flakes.

Use fancier sausage too because it can only add to the flavor. Even good old breakfast sausage is a good choice.

When it comes to the pine nuts or soy nuts, they can be eliminated entirely if you don’t have them on hand. They should be toasted for best flavor and they do add variety to the texture of the filling.

Spinach was used for the greens–although kale, mustard or turnip greens will work equally as well.

The Recipe

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Stuffed Acorn Squash

Perfect for a light fall dinner

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course, Main/Side

Cuisine: American

Keyword: main course acorn squash, stuffed squash recipes, winter squash uses

Servings: 4

Calories: 459kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 4 medium acorn squash cut in half and seeds removed
• Oil
• 1 cup cooked brown jasmine rice
• 6 oz sweet Italian sausage meat
• 1 cup baby spinach
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup roasted pine nuts or soy nuts
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbs water
• Salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425F/220C. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Brush cut sides of squash with oil. Place squash cut side down on prepared sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until squash is just tender. Do not overcook. Remove from oven but keep oven running.
• Meanwhile brown sausage meat in a large skillet over medium heat until no pink remains. Add spinach, red pepper flakes and water. Cook until spinach is wilted; remove from heat and add the rice, cheese and pine nuts. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Divide rice mixture evenly between squash halves. Return to oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until heated through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1squash half | Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 428mg | Potassium: 1716mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2339IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 231mg | Iron: 4mg

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A fall treat!  Sweet and buttery.

Who doesn’t love the first squash of fall?

You can do this technique with any “winter” squash, but by far it tastes best with acorn.

This is roasted at a lower temp than most recipes since I tend to make this along with a roast pork, so I use the same oven temp as the meat.  But some instructions call for 400 degrees F for 30 minutes.  If you’re only baking the squash (without a roast or any other oven-y thing) you can do it either way, but most opt for less cook time.

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Roasted Acorn Squash Cups

Roasted Acorn Squash is a delicious fall side dish. SO easy to make!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course: side dishes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: acorn squash, roasted squash, squash recipes

Servings: 4

Calories: 182kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 2 medium acorn squash
• 2 tbsp butter or vegan butter
• 4 tbsp brown sugar
• water

Instructions

• Cut squashes in half, lengthwise through the stem. Scoop out seeds.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place about 1-inch of water in a large baking pan. Place squash halves, cut side up, in pan.
• Fill the seed cavity of each squash half with 1/2 tbs of butter and 1 tbs brown sugar.
• Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour or until squash is fork tender. Brush entire edible portion with syrup that formed in the seed cavity.
• Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5squash | Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 60mg | Potassium: 764mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 966IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 2mg

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