Acorn squash has quickly become one of my favorite things to cook. It goes well with so many things, can serve as a blank canvas for stuffing, and is so good for you!
Acorn squash can often be used in the same ways as butternut squash or other starchy vegetables, like sweet potatoes. Acorn squash is also high in Vitamin C and B vitamins, making it an excellent choice for so many recipes.
One of my favorite ways to make acorn squash is to stuff it. You can stuff it with all sorts of things, but this combination of brown rice, ground turkey, spinach, and dried cranberries is for sure my favorite!
To make this stuffed acorn squash, you’ll want to make sure you have a very sharp knife for trimming. I like to trim as little as possible from the squash, so I have a large “bowl” used for the stuffing. Scaping some of the cooked squash into the rice mixture adds some creaminess to the dish, plus it leaves you with minimal waste and the added nutritional value of the squash.
When roasting the squash, be sure that it is super tender, so you can easily scrape it to add to the rice mixture. When cooking the rice, be sure it doesn’t get too dry. You want to have plenty of moisture to help combine it with the turkey and squash. Plus, by making sure there is plenty of moisture in the rice, you ensure that it is not overcooked, so it doesn’t become a mushy mess when stirring it together with the turkey mixture.
If you don’t happen to have brown rice, don’t fret, you can easily substitute white rice. You could even use quinoa or farro.
Some other variations you could try with this stuffed acorn squash are to omit the cranberries and use sun dried tomatoes and kalamata olives. You could omit the turkey and substitute ground beef or chicken as well. Really, the possibilities are endless when it comes to this stuffed acorn squash recipe!
Enjoy, and leave a comment or find us on Instagram @thesugarandsaltco to let us know what you think!
