This easy fall meal is as filling as it is pretty! You can tailor the filling to use whatever ingredients you have laying around or to your preferences. This is a vegetarian version, but you could easily add some ground meat to up the protein if you wanted!
Quick Facts
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Ready In: 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
- Squash:
- 4 small acorn squash, washed
- 2 tbsp butter
- Salt and pepper
- Stuffing:
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 carrots, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/4″ pieces
- 1 yellow onion, diced into 1/2″ pieces
- 1 pkg sliced brown mushrooms, cut into 1/2″ pieces
- 2 pkg Ben’s Whole Grain Medley (Brown and Wild Rice with Herbs and Spices)
- 1 roasted red pepper, diced into 1/4″ cubes
- 1 tsp herbes de Provence
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Medium skillet with lid
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Cut a small amount off the bottom of each acorn squash so they stand up on their own. Then, slice the tops of each acorn squash. Set aside.
- Scoop out seeds from each squash and discard (or make pepitas!). Evenly distribute thin slices of butter into each squash cavity, trying to attach it to the walls, if possible. Be sure to put some on each squash top as well. Season each cavity and top.
- Place each squash on the baking sheet, bottom down, top on. Bake for 30 minutes with the top on. Then, remove the tops and place them flesh-side down on the baking sheet next to the squashes and bake for 10 minutes more. Squash should be easily pierced with a fork when done. Be sure to not over-bake as you want the squash to maintain its shape.
- Meanwhile, make the stuffing by adding 1 tbsp of butter to a skillet over medium heat. Add carrots and cook with a lid for a few minutes until carrots begin to soften and brown.
- Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes more. Put the lid back on for a few minutes to allow carrots more time to steam.
- Add mushrooms and 1 more tbsp of butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms begin to soften and become fragrant.
- Cook Ben’s rice according to package instructions. Add to skillet with another tbsp of butter and the roasted red pepper. Season with herbes de Provence. Keep on low heat, stirring occasionally, until squashes have finished baking.
- Remove squashes from the oven and stuff them with the stuffing, pressing it down to pack it in tightly. Bake stuffed squash for another 10 minutes in the 400F oven with their tops on.
- Remove from oven and let sit a few minutes. Top with some additional stuffing before serving.