Holiday Stuffed Squash
Yield: 8 squash halves
Are you getting tired of the same old holiday recipes? Are you ready to try something creative? Or maybe you have a whole bunch of winter squash that needs to be used? Here is a very unique and tasty Holiday Stuffing that you will love! In fact, it tastes so good, I purposely double or triple the batch, just so I have a nice casserole dish of plain stuffing to serve as an entree! The best part--the main ingredient is quinoa, so it's naturally gluten-free--no special gluten-free bread required!
Ingredients
BAKE Squash:
- 4 medium acorn squash halved and seeds removed
COOK Quinoa:
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa 20-30 min, OR until quinoa is cooked; OR rice cooker on white rice setting.
- 2 cups water
- 2 tsp Country Style Seasoning see recipe in Miscellaneous section
- 1/4 tsp rubbed sage
- 1/4 tsp thyme
STEAM Veggies for stuffing:
- 2 cups onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1 tsp Country Style Seasoning
- 2 Tbsp water
ADD later:
- 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans OR raw
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries optional
Instructions
PREPARE Acorn Squash
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WASH and cut halves
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SCOOP out seeds.
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LAY skin facing down (hollow holes facing up) in casserole dish.
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COVER with foil.
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BAKE at 400°F for 45 minutes.
MAKE Stuffing
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COOK the quinoa and herbs in a rice cooker or on the stovetop until done. Set aside to cool.
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CHOP the veggies and steam them together in a little water until tender.
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ADD the toasted pecans and dried cranberries to the steamed vegetables and mix.
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GENTLY fold the quinoa or rice into the mixture.
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COVER and set aside.
STUFF the squash
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REMOVE the partially baked squash from oven.
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LIGHTLY sprinkle salt on squash halves (optional).
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SPOON stuffing into squash halves, packing in nicely and making a nice hump over the top of the squash.
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COVER baking dish again.
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BAKE at 375°F for another 30-60 minutes or until the squash is soft when poked with a knife..
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SERVE immediately or cool, covered.
Recipe Notes
Refrigerated leftover Stuffed Squash makes great sack lunches for easy reheating! Also, any leftover stuffing is amazing by itself, so don't be afraid of leftovers!
To lightly toast pecans, preheat your oven to 300F. Spread pecans--whole or already chopped--onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Then allow to cool for a few minutes before using. This is an optional step--you can use them raw--but it really brings out the flavor!