Apple and Nut Stuffed Acorn Squash

Delicious apple and nut stuffed acorn squash filled with sweet honey crisp apples, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, dried cherries and a touch of maple syrup.

I love pretty much anything made with squash. I’m not sure how I got on the squash love train especially since we rarely (as in never) ate it in my house growing up. To this day my dad just about gags when you mention winter squash. Apparently when he was growing up his mom used to make rice and ground beef stuffed squash all the time. To me this sounds delicious. To him it apparently sounds like hell.

Oh well. More for me I guess…right dad?

Now want to know what I stuffed these guys with? Well it’s not ground beef and rice if you guess that. Also if you guessed that you I guess I should probably invest in a better camera because I hope it doesn’t look like that in the picture. So these little yellow acorn squashes are stuffed full of apples, pumpkin seeds, chopped dried cherries and touch of maple syrup. I enjoyed eating them as a nice option for a meatless meal but I think the addition of chicken {or maybe some leftover turkey?} would be delicious as well.

I feel like I should write more but I cannot think straight tonight. So, instead of rambling on more about this dish {which is really amazing and I hope you try it} I’m going to share a picture of my niece on Halloween. Seriously…is she not the cutest David Bowie you have ever seen? I know thats a totally biased opinion but seriously. So cute.

Apple and Nut Stuffed Acorn Squash

Delicious apple and nut stuffed acorn squash filled with sweet honey crisp apples, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, dried cherries and a touch of maple syrup.

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Total Time: 75 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 acorn squash, cut in half and seeds scooped out
• 1/2 cup finely diced apples
• 1/3 cup shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (pecans would work well too)
• 1/4 cup finely diced sour cherries
• 2 tablespoons finely diced crystallized ginger
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 - 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
• Salt, to taste
• Maple syrup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium-size bowl add apples, pumpkin seeds, sour cherries, brown sugar, melted butter, apple pie spice and salt. Add more melted butter if the mixture looks too dry.

Fill the squash cavity with equal amount of the apple mixture.

Add squash to a baking sheet and lightly cover with foil.

Bake for 40 minutes, remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes.

Pierce the squash to make sure it's fully cooked, remove from the oven, drizzle with a little maple syrup and enjoy.