Today is day 12 in our 12 Days of Christmas event and I can not believe that it is already over! To wrap up this event, we are bringing you this recipe for Stuffed Acorn Squash!
If you like this squash recipe, you need to try my butternut squash soup, or my roasted acorn squash and cauliflower soup.
Christmas is not going to look the same for a lot of us this year, no big meals, no big family gatherings, means a lot of us will probably be focusing on a smaller meal for the big day.
That’s where these stuffed acorn squashes step in! They are a PERFECT small Christmas meal, and they are even healthy. To make these even more suitable for Christmas, you can substitute the ground pork for ground turkey, too!
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A few things you will need to make this recipe
How to make Stuffed Acorn Squash
First, you will start with preparing all of the “pieces” of this recipe. Then we will prepare the filling and stuff the squashes, so let’s get started!
To prepare the Acorn Squash
Preheat the oven to 350°F and thoroughly wash the outside of the squashes.
Cut the squashes in half around the middle and trim off the tops/bottoms to create a flat surface.
Using a small spoon, scrape out the seeds and discard.
Lightly drizzle the inside of the squash with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a little bit of salt.
Place the squashes face down on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, until the squash is fork tender. Remove the squash from the oven and set aside.
To prepare the Ground Pork
(Ground Turkey* may also be substituted)
In a medium sized frying pan, add the pork and cook over medium heat until it is fully browned.
Drain off any excess fat, remove from the heat and set aside.
*If you are using ground turkey, add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan before cooking the meat.
To prepare the Quinoa
In a medium sized saucepan add the dry quinoa and chicken stock.
Stir together and bring to a boil over medium/low heat. After the quinoa is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and place a tight fitting lid on top.
Cook the quinoa until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
To make the filling for the stuffed squash
In a large deep skillet, add the olive oil and minced garlic. Saute until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Then, add the apples, celery, italian seasoning, thyme, fennel, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the cooked pork, cooked quinoa, and maple syrup. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Remove the prepared filling mixture from the heat and stir in ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese, reserving the remaining ½ cup of cheese for topping.
Stuffing the Squash
Preheat your oven to 350°F and grab the pre-baked acorn squashes.
Flip the squashes over on the baking sheet to resemble the “bowl like” inside.
Divide the filling evenly between all of the squashes (the filling amount per squash will vary depending on the size of the squash bowl).
Top with the remaining ½ cup of parmesan cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Remove the acorn stuffed squash from the oven and let it cool slightly before serving.
Serve the stuffed acorn squash with additional maple syrup to drizzle overtop, if desired (but highly recommended).
Storage
Store prepared stuffed squash in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3 days.
To reheat leftovers, either place in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes, or microwave for 3-4 minutes until heated through.
This brings an end to our annual 12 Days of Christmas event! We had SO much fun creating this again for you! If you have any questions about any of the recipes, leave a comment down below and we will get back to you right away!
We hope our recipes can bring some joy into your homes during these times. Also, we put a lot of work into our recipes, so we would love to know if you tried this recipe and how it turned out for you!
Check out the other recipes in our 12 Days of Christmas holiday event!
- First Day of Christmas- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Second Day of Christmas- Whipped Shortbread Cookies
- Third Day of Christmas- Almond & Cashew Buttercrunch Toffee
- Fourth Day of Christmas- Hot Buttered Rum
- Fifth Day of Christmas- Sponge Toffee
- Sixth Day of Christmas- Sweet & Spicy Holiday Chex
- Seventh Day of Christmas- Spicy Bacon Jam Brussel Sprouts
- Eighth Day of Christmas- Snickerdoodles
- Ninth Day of Christmas- Double Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
- Tenth Day of Christmas- Cheesy Stuffed Mushrooms
- Eleventh Day of Christmas- Chocolate Cream Cookies
- Twelfth Day of Christmas- Stuffed Acorn Squash
We would love to see your creations on Instagram! Tag your creations from the 12 Days of Christmas using #whippeditup2020
If you have any questions about this recipe, I would be happy to answer them in the comments down below! To get a hold of us, you can shoot us an email or leave a comment down below! We can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
Stuffed Acorn Squash
A healthy and delicious "all-in-one" meal
Ingredients
- 3 Acorn Squash, small/medium sized
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 lb Ground Pork
- 2 cups Chicken Stock
- 1 cup Quinoa, dry
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 Apples, diced (~ 1 ½ cups)
- 3 Stalks Celery, diced (~ 1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Thyme
- ½ teaspoon Fennel
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- ¼ cup Maple Syrup
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded and divided
Instructions
- To prepare the Acorn Squash; Preheat the oven to 350°F. Thoroughly wash the outside of the squash and cut in half around the middle. Trim off the tops/bottoms to create a flat surface. Using a small spoon, scrape out the seeds and discard. Lightly drizzle the inside of the squash with extra virgin olive oil and salt. Place the squash face down on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, until the squash is fork tender. Remove the squash from the oven and set aside.
- To prepare the Ground Pork (Ground Turkey* may also be substituted); In a medium sized frying pan, add the pork and cook over medium heat until fully browned. Drain off any excess fat and set aside. *If using ground turkey, add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan before cooking.
- To prepare the Quinoa; In a medium sized saucepan add the quinoa and chicken stock. Stir together and bring to a boil over medium/low heat. After the quinoa is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and place a tight fitting lid on top. Cook until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Fluffing with a fork at the end.
To make the filling
- In a large deep skillet, add the olive oil and minced garlic. Saute until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the apples, celery, italian seasoning, thyme, fennel, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cooked pork, cooked quinoa, and maple syrup. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese, reserving the remaining ½ cup of cheese for topping.
Stuffing the Squash
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grab the pre-baked acorn squashes.
- Flip the squashes over on the baking sheet to resemble the “bowl like” inside.
- Divide the filling evenly between all of the squashes (the filling amount per squash will vary depending on the size of the squash bowl).
- Top with the remaining ½ cup of parmesan cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
Stuffed acorn squash can be served with additional maple syrup to drizzle overtop, if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 517Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 619mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 7gSugar: 16gProtein: 29g
Please Note- The nutritional information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator and it will vary based on the ingredients that you use.
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Tiff Setzler says
I've always wanted to try an acorn squash, but never knew what to do with it. I pinned this to try, cannot wait.
Jessica says
We would love to know what you think when you try it!
Rachel says
This sounds amazing and not as hard as I imagined it would be! Thanks!
Jessica says
It is seriously so easy! We hope that you love it!