Stuffed Acorn Squash

When October hits and the farmers market starts piling up with winter squash, this is the recipe I reach for first. Stuffed acorn squash is one of those dinners that feels like a real occasion but requires almost no technique. Hard to beat. You halve the squash, roast it until the flesh is sweet and caramelized. Pile it high with a filling that does all the heavy lifting. It is fall on a plate, something you want to eat on a weeknight but would feel proud to set down at a dinner party.

What sets this version apart is the balance in the filling. Wild rice brings a nutty, chewy backbone, dried cranberries add pops of tartness, and toasted pecans give each bite some crunch. A drizzle of maple syrup and some apple cider vinegar tie everything together with a sweet-tart dressing that keeps it from feeling heavy. Really. The spinach wilts into the warm rice and adds a vegetal freshness. This is a great make-ahead option: roast the squash and prep the filling earlier in the day, then assemble and reheat for fifteen minutes before serving. Each stuffed half is a generous single serving, so plan on one per person.

Roast the Squash Cut-Side Down

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush the cut sides of the squash with olive oil and season with salt. Place cut-side down on a lined baking sheet. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes until fork-tender. Roasting the squash cut-side down first produces better caramelization and a creamier interior than roasting it face-up the whole time.

Make the Wild Rice Stuffing

While the squash roasts, combine the cooked rice, cranberries, pecans, green onions, spinach, maple syrup, vinegar, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Toss until combined. Toast the pecans in a dry skillet for 3 minutes before adding them to the stuffing. Raw pecans taste flat and starchy by comparison.

Fill and Bake Until Warm

Flip the squash cut-side up. Fill each half generously with the rice mixture, mounding it above the rim. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the filling is warmed through. Serve immediately, one stuffed half per person.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

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• Author: Honest Cooking
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings

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Description

Stuffed acorn squash is fall cooking at its most straightforward — halve a squash, roast it, fill it with something hearty, and call it dinner. The squash itself turns sweet and caramelized in the oven, and the wild rice and cranberry stuffing brings a nutty, tart contrast that keeps every bite interesting. This is the kind of meal that looks like it took an hour of effort and actually takes about fifteen minutes of hands-on work.

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Ingredients

Units USM

• 2 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1 cup wild rice blend, cooked according to package directions
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush the cut sides of the squash with olive oil and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Place cut-side down on a lined baking sheet. Roast 35 to 40 minutes until fork-tender.
2. While the squash roasts, combine the cooked rice, cranberries, pecans, green onions, spinach, maple syrup, vinegar, cinnamon, remaining salt, and pepper. Toss until combined.
3. Flip the squash cut-side up. Fill each half generously with the rice mixture, mounding it above the rim.
4. Return to the oven and bake 10 minutes until the filling is warmed through.
5. Serve immediately, one stuffed half per person.

Notes

• Roasting the squash cut-side down first produces better caramelization and a creamier interior than roasting it face-up the whole time.
• Toast the pecans in a dry skillet for 3 minutes — raw pecans taste flat and starchy by comparison.
• This is a make-ahead-friendly dish. Prep the filling and roast the squash earlier in the day, then assemble and reheat for 15 minutes at serving time.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 365
• Sugar: 22
• Sodium: 580
• Fat: 12
• Carbohydrates: 62
• Fiber: 8
• Protein: 7

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