Roasted Browned Butter Stuffed Acorn Squash

With Thanksgiving week upon us, is there a better way to get cozy than with a warm, hearty stuffed acorn squash?

One of the many reasons to love fall is the delicious array of in-season produce! Vegetables harvested at this time of year are often cold-resistant and store well for long periods of time...perfect for the long winter ahead! In addition to providing nourishment during cold months, they're absolutely delicious! Now that typical farmer's market options like corn, tomatoes, watermelon, and berries are out of season, it may seem like farmers are slowing down their production for the year...this is so false! Autumn harvests are the most rewarding and abundant harvests of the whole year (in my opinion). If you plan to make this recipe, head out to a local farmer to purchase as many ingredients as you can. This is another great way to shop local and support a family this Thanksgiving.

Acorn squash are a small variety of squash that literally look like gigantic green acorns, hence their name. According the USDA, they are low in fat and contain about 6.5 grams of fiber per squash. They're a great source of potassium, containing about 1500mg and are a significant source of beta carotene (vitamin A precursor) and vitamin C. They also have about 3.6g of protein! With plenty of antioxidants, protein, and carbohydrates, they make for a wonderful ~stuffing agent.~

How to pick your acorn squash

When picking your squash, make sure the skin is dull. Shiny skin indicates that the squash was picked before it was ripened. The orange part is the part that was most likely in contact with the ground, so make sure most of the squash is dark green in color as this can be an indicator of flavor and ripeness.

Recipe Description

The flavor and texture of the browned-butter squash is similar to that of sweet potato casserole. It is so decadent it almost tastes like a dessert, but paired with savory quinoa (or wild rice) and a subtle spice blend, it's perfect for a chilly fall night.

This recipe was enough for one person, so I'd say get one acorn squash per person and make enough servings of quinoa/wild rice for your desired amount of people. You can go crazy with your veggie filling as long as you don't mind left overs! The recipe will be formatted for one, bu you can always double/quadruple etc...

Ingredients

- 1 Acorn squash, halved

- 2 cups baby Bella mushrooms, sliced

- 1 serving cooked quinoa or wild rice

- 1 cup chopped Brussels sprouts

- 1 cup spinach

- handful of slivered almonds

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1/2 cup red onion, diced

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- about 1/2 cup veggie stock

- 1 tbsp butter, melted

- 2 tsp brown sugar or coconut sugar

- 1 tsp cumin

- 1 tsp cayenne pepper

- 1/4 tsp thyme

- 1 tsp garlic and onion powder

- 1 tsp parsley

- Salt & pepper

- top with cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

2. Cut acorn squash in half down the center (microwave for 40 seconds to soften if it is too hard)

3. Scoop out the seeds and slice ridges in the flesh of the acorn squash (so that the butter seeps into the flesh)

4. Melt the butter in a small bowl for about 20 seconds and add the brown sugar, mixing to combine

5. brush or spread the butter mixture onto the inside of each squash half.

6. On a baking pan lined with parchment paper, place the squash into the oven for about 20-mins while making the filling

7. In a frying pan, sauté garlic, onion, and almonds in olive oil until fragrant

8. Add vegetables and spices, along with vegetable stock. Simmer for 10 mins, adding more stock if the veggies start to burn. They should brown up a bit.

9. Add your quinoa/wild rice to the veggie mixture

10. Remove squash from oven and stuff

11. Top with cheese and bake for remaining 20 mins.

12. Serve warm!