This Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe is an unbelievably delightful dish that not only looks incredible, but tastes divine! Golden acorn squashes are halved, roasted, then packed with a flavorful, vibrant quinoa and cranberry pecan filling, garnished with feta and fresh herbs.
Serve this as a side at your next holiday dinner, or eat it as a hearty main meal. Either way, you’re guaranteed a few ‘oohs and ahhs’ when this roasted acorn squash is on the menu!
Reasons You’ll Love This
Stuffed Squash – If you want to make a Fall version of stuffed peppers for dinner, try this baked acorn squash instead.
Deceptively Easy – Roasting an entire squash and stuffing may not look easy, but it’s actually surprisingly simple to assemble!
Crowd Pleaser – This one really shocks your dinner guests. Everyone will be talking about how pretty and delicious it was all night!
Nutritious & Delicious – Quinoa stuffed squash is not only packed with good-for-you nutrients and healthy grains, but it’s shockingly very tasty.
Baked acorn squash has a delightful nutty aroma that fills your kitchen with a warm and comforting feeling you can’t get from the store. Whether you’re looking to learn how to cook acorn squash in the oven on your own for the first time, or you just need a well balanced meal for dinner, you won’t be disappointed with the results from this recipe.
Ingredient Info
- Squash – Acorn squash is very creamy and tender, I highly recommend it. If you can’t find one, you could also use butternut squash, or spaghetti squash.
- Quinoa – You’ll want to make sure the quinoa is pre cooked before using it in this recipe. You could substitute couscous for quinoa if you prefer.
- Dried Cranberries – Dried cranberries add the perfect amount of tartness and chewiness to the filling. Raisins are also a great option.
- Pecans – Chopped pecans are ideal for this recipe, but chopped walnuts or cashews work instead. You can also omit this ingredient, or substitute a nut-free option like pepitas!
- Feta – The feta cheese mixed with the pecans and cranberries is so perfect in this recipe! If you don’t have feta you could use a different cheese like gorgonzola, or goat cheese.
Step by Step Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 375°F. Prep a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Cut the acorn squashes in half starting at the stem and ending at the bottom. Use a spoon to scoop out the middle of the squash where the seeds are. Once clean, oil the inside of the squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the squashes face down on the baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- While the squash roasts, add olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once heated, sauté the onion and garlic until soft and translucent. Add cumin, dried thyme and stir for about a minute. Remove from heat. In a separate bowl, add the quinoa, dried cranberries, pecans, feta and the onion and garlic mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste then stir to combine.
- Remove the roasted squash from the oven and gently flip them so the inside faces up. Evenly divide then spoon the quinoa mixture into the center of the squashes. Gently pack it in. Put the squashes back in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the stuffing is somewhat crispy on top. Remove from the oven, allow it to cool for a few minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley, serve and enjoy!
Tips & Advice
Storage – You can store the leftover quinoa stuffed squash in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can store them in an airtight container, or wrap them tightly with plastic wrap.
Freezing – If you want to freeze the stuffed squash, assemble it how you would, but don’t bake it. Freeze the squash assembled, wrapped in foil. When you’re ready to eat, bake from frozen at 375°F for about an hour. This will last in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Make Ahead – To make the squash ahead of time, roast the squash, and assemble the filling. Store the squash and filling in the fridge separately, then when you’re ready to eat, fill the squash then bake until warmed through.
Dazzling dinner
If you want to make this more of a main meal, you can add ground sausage, ground beef, turkey or chicken to the stuffing! Just add it in when you are sautéing the onion and garlic. Cook until browned, drain the fat and add it to the filling mixture!
Equipment
For this recipe you’ll need a few simple kitchen essentials to help you out!
FAQs
The skin of the acorn squash is edible. However, I don’t find it particularly appealing. If you want to eat the skin, you can. If you do, I would oil the skin and add salt and pepper to it before baking.
You can start by removing the stem, or keep it if you like the look, then cut the squash vertically in half starting at the stem and ending at the bottom of the squash.
You can tell the acorn squash is done roasting when the skin is tender and soft to the touch. The edges of the squash will also start to caramelize and brown a bit.
Serves Well With
Serve this delicious Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash with a side of veggies and your favorite proteins. Here is a list of a few that I think would pair perfectly with this recipe. Enjoy!
More Recipes You’ll Love!
Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 2 acorn squashes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup quinoa cooked
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 1/2 small red onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 375°F. Prep a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Cut the acorn squashes in half starting at the stem and ending at the bottom. Use a spoon to scoop out the middle of the squash where the seeds are.
- Once clean, oil the inside of the squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the squashes face down on the baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- While the squash roasts, add olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once heated, saute the onion and garlic until soft and translucent. Add cumin, dried thyme and stir for about a minute. Remove from heat.
- In a separate bowl, add the quinoa, dried cranberries, pecans, feta and the onion and garlic mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste then stir to combine.
- Remove the roasted squash from the oven and gently flip them so the inside faces up. Evenly divide then spoon the quinoa mixture into the center of the squashes. Gently pack it in.
- Put the squashes back in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the stuffing is somewhat crispy on top. Remove from the oven, allow it to cool for a few minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley, serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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