Some thoughts & recipes for Acorn Squash, in season now!
Roasted as a side dish, stuffed as a main dish or diced into soups and stews, there’s certainly a lot you can do with acorn squash. I also use it to make “pumpkin” puree when other varieties are not available.
Acorn squash is very nutrient dense, full of an array of minerals, such as calcium, and high in vitamins C and A. Read more about the incredible health benefits of this Fall beauty here.
A large tray of stuffed acorn squash halves makes a gorgeous presentation. Because acorn squash are such an easy size to handle, stuffing them is easy to do and there are endless stuffing options. Here is a recipe to use as a base preparation method from Martha Stewart, and some additional stuffing ideas from me (note - unless it’s bread, cheese, or vegetables, all filling components - unless otherwise stated - are cooked before stuffing into squash):
Ground beef, rice, onions and topped with shredded cheddar to finish
Bread cubes, diced cheese and chopped bacon moistened with cream or broth
Mashed potatoes, topped with cheddar
Rice, peas, spinach
Leftover chicken stew topped with breadcrumbs and cheese
Leftover chili with rice mixed in topped with cheese
Three Sisters* - sauteed fresh corn mixed with black beans or cannellini or beans of your choice
*Three Sisters refers to the Native American growing practice with corn, beans and squash. All three are grown together for mutual benefits. The corn provides structure for the beans to climb and the squash, also planted at the base of the corn, has sprawling vines which prevent weeds from taking over and choking the corn and beans. Each crop adds a different element to the soil and takes something different from the soil while growing, creating a soil symbiosis as well as a growing one.
Enjoy!
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