These stuffed acorn squash are filled with apples and lentils for a hearty vegetarian meal full of fall flavor.
Acorn is not my favorite squash, but it is the cutest.
Isn’t it?
Especially white acorn squash, gah!
It’s manageable, no risk of cutting your hands off as you try to saw through it like some of it’s relatives (I’m looking at you butternut).
And therefore, a great one to start off the season with. I’d kind of like to keep my fingertips intact.
So, how do you eat a squash you’re not crazy for besides its appearance?
You stuff it.
Stuffing is my favorite part of Thanksgiving.
And yes, it’s stuffing not dressing. Dressing is stuff you put on your salad. Got it?
Ok, now we can move on.
My mom makes the best damn stuffing in the world come Thanksgiving.
It’s one of those recipes that doesn’t have specifics. All I know is there is a lot of sausage, raisins, apples and butter. Lots and lots of butter.
I actually made these sausage cranberry apple stuffing muffins as an ode (read: easier) to her recipe. I love their cute portion controlled size!
My plate on Thanksgiving is usually about 75% stuffing, 5% turkey and 20% other sides.
Turkey is actually my least favorite part of the meal. I think the bird is just highly overrated and who really wants to wake up at 6am on a holiday to throw that sucker in the oven?
Yeah, not me.
After the holiday is over, all I find myself thinking about is what I can “stuff” with the leftover stuffing.
That’s kind of the role of the acorn squash in this stuffed acorn squash recipe. It’s a vehicle to be stuffed. You can say the same about red kuri squash (although in my opinion, it’s a much tastier squash than acorn).
While it’s cooked with butter and maple syrup, it’s really all about the stuffing inside it. <–That’s redundant huh? Stuffing by definition is “inside” I guess.
Moving on…
I wanted to make this stuffed acorn squash scream fall.
There’s nothing like some lentils, apples, onions, and rosemary for that. Dried cherries, pepitas, carrots and celery also got thrown in.
Since making this on Wednesday, I’ve eaten it in the acorn squash, by the spoonful out of the tupperware container and on a toasted flatbread with cheddar cheese.
Really, the possibilities are endless.
It would be delicious with some sausage or chicken sausage in it too if you do the meat thing.
Or, you can make this stuffed delicata squash or lamb stuffed kabocha squash instead.
I probably would’ve done that if my freezer had anything but ice cream, phyllo dough, bread and OJ in it right now.
I’m playing this new game. It’s called how long can you hold out before going to the grocery store.
I’m at 2 weeks 3 days and counting if you’re interested.
So if you’re a stuffing fiend like me, go buy a cute little acorn squash and stuff it.
It won’t disappoint.
Apple Lentil Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 1 acorn squash
- 1 tablespoon butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
- 1 cup cooked lentils
- 1 medium apple, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons dried cherries, chopped
- 2 tablespoons pepitas
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Cut acorn squash in half and scoop out seeds.
- Place squash in baking pan with 1/2 inch of water on the bottom.
- Divide butter and maple syrup between the squash halves and add to the cavities.
- Bake for about 40-45 minutes, until flesh is soft.
- While squash is cooking heat sauté pan to medium-high.
- Add olive oil, onions, celery, carrots & rosemary.
- Sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened.
- Add apples next, sauté for another 3-4 minutes.
- Transfer to a large bowl and add lentils, cherries & pepitas.
- Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Once squash is cooked, remove from oven.
- Using a fork, scrape the flesh so that the butter & maple syrup mixture is absorbed.
- Fill squash with stuffing mixture and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
I absolutely love acorn squash. we just usually put butter and brown sugar in ours, then eat it with maple syrup.
Yum! I can’t wait to make this. I put acorn squash on my pizza last night!
I just bought my first acorn squash because I thought it was cute:) turkey is my least favorite part of thanksgiving too. I could just eat the cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.
besides stuffing, cranberry sauce is the best!
Stuffed squash is totally my go-to recipe for thanksgiving, and for Christmas. I don’t eat turkey so I have this as an alternative. I like to tweak my stuffing recipe every year a little bit, so this year I’ll likely be borrowing a few ideas from this one!
This is such a great idea! Talk about the perfect Autumn meal! Yum! :-)
I so need to buy some squash. It’s so versatile and has the perfect fall flavor.
My mother-in-law also makes a stuffing that I adore. It’s amazing and I can’t get enough during the holidays. I’m with you on not caring for the bird. It’s really not needed with all the other good stuff on the table.
I’ve never had this kind of squash before, but that’s about to change!!! I’m with you on the turkey, it’s my least favorite part of Thanksgiving. I make a mean stuffing and it’s my favorite part of the meal…and for days after :)
Yum, this look delicious! I have to try this recipe. :)
LOVE those cute little acorn squashes. My husband has to tell me to put them back at the grocery store when I buy them week after week. Apparently they are not his favorite squash either.
This recipe has all of my fave fall ingredients. Can’t wait to try!
Acorn squash might be my fav. Well, that or butternut. They’re both awesome, really. That look fantastic. I have a stuffed acorn squash recipe that uses turkey, apple sauce, and other fall-ish flavors. Apple and squash is just an all-around good combo!