Twice Baked Acorn Squash with an Apple Wild Rice Stuffing
For the vegetarians in the family, or the carnivore looking for a side dish, this delicious blend of flavors is a great addition to any meal!
Crowd pleaser. This holiday season was an experience for me. I had a few vegetarians, a low carb eater, a carnivore, and a picky eater-tough crowd, but I loved the challenge! In a quest to create dishes that satisfied all categories without creating a lot of extra work, this dish came to fruition! To keep the table well-rounded, I made a little extra of the wild rice stuffing and had that as a side to the meat entrée, and stuffed these squash to fit as more of a vegetarian main. It was an easy way to entertain without feeling the need to create ‘special’ dishes!
Opposites attract! A fun creative challenge for me is playing with opposite flavor profiles. Sweet vs. salty, rich vs. creamy…. What I love about squash is that it is so versatile, absorbing whatever flavors you provide. When baking them for the first time, I put a liberal amount of salt on them, creating a creamy, salty base. The apple in the stuffing brings a sweet bite, especially when mixed with the cranberries. Not to be outdone, the soft rice and squash counter the crunch from the walnuts to give a complex yet cohesive dish. All around, I would serve this to anyone of my guests, of all food preferences!
Looking for other ways to cook with squash? Check out:
Roasted Delicata Squash Salad with Pomegranate and Goat Cheese
Butternut Squash Soup with Turkey and Kale
Butternut Squash and Sage Cauliflower ‘Risotto’
Butternut Squash Bruschetta with Maple Bacon and Whipped Ricotta
Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash with Spinach, Mushrooms, and a Creamy Swiss Dijon Sauce
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Twice Baked Acorn Squash with an Apple Wild Rice Stuffing
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Stock Pot
- Kitchen knife
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 2 large Acorn Squash
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 cup Wild Rice Blend
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Stock
- 2 tsp Butter
- 1 small Onion
- 1 medium Apple I used red
- 2 stalks Celery
- 1/4 cup Chopped Walnuts
- 1/4 cup Dried Cranberries
- 2 sprigs Thyme
- 6 leaves Sage
- 2 tbsp Chopped Parsley
- 2 cloves Garlic
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Slice squash in half and remove the seeds. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil and salt inside each squash and place facedown on a tinfoil lined baking sheet. Place in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until a knife is inserted easily. Remove and set aside.
- While the squash is baking, prepare rice according to the directions, with slightly less water than usual. When al dente and most of the water absorbed, add butter, salt and garlic and stir well. When everything is absorbed, pour in the stock and add chopped apples, celery and onion and return lid, allowing rice to finish cooking.
- When the rice is to the consistency of choice, add in chopped herbs, cranberries and walnuts and stir well, turning off the heat, and allow a few minutes to blend.
- Turning over the squash, scoop a healthy portion of the rice mixture in each of the halves and return to the oven to bake for another 20 minutes. This may cause some of the rice to crisp on the top, so covering with an additional layer of foil may be preferred, although the crisp is also nice.
- Serve with additional chopped walnuts and parsley sprinkled on top and enjoy!
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