Stuffed Baked Acorn Squash

Delicious roasted acorn squash stuffed with a delicious ground beef with vegetables in tomato sauce and all finished off with some melted cheese.

Stuffed Baked Squash

If there is one thing I love about living in Canada it is that we always have an abundance of different types of squash pretty much all year round. Some I had never encountered when I lived in the UK. Although I possibly wasn't paying as much attention back then either.

I love buying at least one type of squash a week, they are delicious roasted as a substitute for things like potatoes, but one of my favourite things to make, it roasted stuffed squash all topped with cheese and the perfect type of squash for that is Acorn Squash.

Substitutes for Acorn Squash

I am aware that out of season these might be pretty hard to find in the UK, so I am sure you will be wondering what you can use as a substitute and the best option is of course Butternut Squash.

Acorn Squash can be pretty small in comparison to some butternut squash, so I recommend picking a small one. You may need to cook the butternut a little bit longer than acorn squash, just so the flesh part is soft enough to scoop some of to make a kind of boat for your filling. Acorn Squash are more circular so naturally have the boat shape once seeds are removed.

You can follow the method on this recipe - Butternut Squash stuffed with Spicy Chicken and Rice but then add the filling for this Stuffed Acorn Squash Instead.

How to Prep and Bake Acorn Squash

I like to use my sharp santoku knife to cut these in half, and then remove the seeds from the hollow part.

Place of a baking tray lined, with parchment paper, flesh part facing up then spray with olive oil spray and add a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.

Roast at 200c, 180c fan or 400f or around 40-45 minutes. The flesh should be slightly soft and pierceable with a knife or fork after this point. Then once you add the filling and cheese you will cook it again for a little longer and the yummy squash will be soft, sweet and delicious.

Can I make this Vegetarian?

Although I haven't yet tested the filling mixture using something like quorn or cooked lentils, I think they would work okay, you just may need to adjust liquid a little to ensure it's not too dry or too wet.

Most things are delicious when topped with some melted cheesy goodness, right?

Can I freeze Baked Stuffed Squash?

While this is best eating once cooked. I froze a portion of this and it was fine. I just placed a piece in a large container and popped in the freezer, then to reheat, I full defrosted in fridge over night and warmed up in the oven on 180c, 160c fan, 350f until heated through.

This would probably be okay microwaved once defrosted too, but for best results, reheat in the oven.

Sides for Baked Stuffed Acorn Squash

These are perfect enjoyed just as they are, as there is a good portion of vegetables with the squash as the main part of the dish.

But I also paired with a side salad with a light dressing for a filling meal. Just some simple baby greens with grape tomatoes.

More Squash Recipes

Love recipes with squash? Check out these:

• Roasted Butternut Squash with Paprika
• Easy Butternut Squash Curry with Spinach
• Butternut Squash Soup with Garlic Herb Croutons
• Roasted Butternut Squash and Tomato Risotto
• Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
• Crustless Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Quiche
• Beef and Roasted Butternut Squash Chilli
• Creamy Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
• Butternut Squash stuffed with Spicy Chicken and Rice

or if you would like more Slimming Friendly recipe ideas - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes all with estimated calories and you can search by ingredients, course, diet and more..

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Recipe Card

Stuffed Baked Acorn Squash

Yield: SERVES 2

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Delicious baked acorn squash stuffed with ground beef and vegetables in seasoned tomato sauce, topped with melted cheese.

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Ingredients

• 1 Acorn Squash
• Olive Oil Spray
• Salt and Black Pepper

For the Stuffing

• 225g (8oz) of 5% ground beef (beef mince)
• 1 small onion, diced small
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 small carrot, diced small
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste (puree)
• ¾ cup (180ml) of beef or chicken stock
• ⅓ cup (50g) of frozen peas
• salt and black pepper
• 15g (0.5oz) of cheddar, grated
• 25g (1oz) of mozzarella grated

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200c, 180c fan, 400f or gas mark 6

Slice Acorn squash in half with a sharp knife, remove seeds and discard. I also like to take a slither of the squash off each bottom so they sit flat on the tray, but this is optional.

Spray flesh side with olive oil spray, season flesh with salt and black pepper and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for approx 40-45 minutes until flesh is soft and can be easily pierced with a fork.

While the squash is baking, add the beef, onion, carrot and garlic to a frying pan and fry until browned and softened.

Add in the paprika, cumin and tomato and paste and stir to coat, then add in the stock and peas and simmer until the stock reduces and just coats the meat. Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed.

Once the squash has finished baking remove from oven, fill each half with the meat mixture. Top with the mozzarella and cheddar.

Place back in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until the cheese is all melted and lightly golden.

Serve and enjoy!!.

Notes

Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:

• Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
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Nutrition Information

Yield 2 Serving Size 1 SERVING (half a stuffed squash)
Amount Per Serving Calories 449Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gCholesterol 177mgSodium 476mgCarbohydrates 50gFiber 9gSugar 6gProtein 39g

Nutritional information, points etc are an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information. It is always advised that you calculate by the ingredients you use.

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