Description
This hearty Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe features tender roasted acorn squash filled with a savory mixture of ground turkey, baby bella mushrooms, and honeycrisp apples, seasoned with fresh rosemary and spices. Topped with melted cheese, this dish is a perfect balance of sweet and savory, ideal for an impressive yet simple meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Squash
- 2 whole acorn squash, cut in half
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for roasting and spraying)
Filling
- 1 lb ground turkey (or ground beef)
- 1 ½ cups diced baby bella mushrooms
- 1 cup peeled and diced honeycrisp apples
- ½ cup low sodium chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Topping
- 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, gruyere, or mozzarella)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare squash: Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray the parchment with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Cut and roast squash: Slice the acorn squash in half vertically and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash halves cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes until the flesh is tender and easily pierced with a fork.
- Cook turkey: While the squash roasts, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add ground turkey and cook for about 10 minutes until browned and nearly cooked through.
- Prepare vegetables and herbs: While the turkey cooks, chop the baby bella mushrooms, peel and dice the honeycrisp apples, and finely chop the rosemary.
- Sauté filling ingredients: Add mushrooms, apples, chicken stock, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, and rosemary to the pan with the turkey. Stir and sauté for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and flavors combine.
- Hollow out squash: Remove the roasted squash from the oven, turn them cut-side up, and carefully scoop out most of the flesh into a bowl, leaving a thin layer intact in the squash shells.
- Combine squash flesh with filling: Stir the scooped-out squash flesh into the turkey and vegetable mixture until fully incorporated.
- Stuff squash and add cheese: Spoon the turkey and squash mixture back into the hollowed squash halves, distributing evenly. Top each with shredded cheese.
- Finish baking: Return the stuffed squash halves to the oven and bake at 450°F for an additional 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted. For a crispy cheese topping, optionally broil the squash for 2-3 minutes.
Notes
- AStuffed Acorn Squash recipe you have to try! This stuffed squash is so easy to make – try it with sausage or keep it vegetarian!
- Use different cheeses like cheddar, gruyere, or mozzarella depending on your preference.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute ground turkey with lentils or plant-based meat alternatives.
- Be careful when scooping the squash flesh to leave a sturdy shell for stuffing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 0.5 acorn squash (1 out of 4 halves)
- Calories: 399 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 576 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 37 g
- Cholesterol: 92 mg
