Roasted Acorn Squash with Smoked Paprika

 

When the temperature dips
and the leaves are changing,
it’s time to cook heartier food!

 

An excellent accompaniment to roasted chicken and meats ~ this squash side dish is tasty, not to mention colorful.

 

Dinner is: Iron-Skillet Roast Chicken with Acorn Squash, Red Onions and Bacon

How can anyone resist good crisp skin on chicken?  If it’s not crispy, it’s just simply a sad chicken...

Hello, crispy chicken with roasted vegetables and smokey bacon!  Here's a one-pan meal that’s bursting with flavor!

Fall's Quintessential Vegetable ~~~ Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Rice

Roasted acorn squash, fall’s quintessential vegetable, is made even better with a hearty mixture of rice, made with Parmesan cheese and a bit of crisp-fried bacon.

  

This recipe here is pretty much everything I like about fall food cooking.  It’s easy.  It uses fresh vegetables from the market.  It’s tasty delicious.  And it’s cozy and comforting.  The only hard part is cutting the squash in half.

This stuffed squash is good for a week night dinner like we just enjoyed last night, but flavorful enough to serve at a holiday dinner this for company this fall.  

I used white long-grain rice, but wild rice would be great with the squash.  There’s a hint of sweetness in the squash itself, use brown sugar or not. 

 

Crispy bacon crumbs and Parmesan make for a heavenly addition to the savory dish.  

The flavors of this simple side are so spot on ~ delicious with its amazing flavors and great for these cooler days!

Yield: 4 servingsAuthor: Pam

Roasted Acorn Squash with Rice Stuffing

A good side of stuffed acorn squash with a rice filling that compliments many main dishes.

prep time: 20 MINScook time: 1 hourtotal time: 1 hours and 20 mins

INGREDIENTS

• 2 acorn squash, halved lengthwise and seeds removed
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned pepper
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 3 strips cooked crisp bacon
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place squash cut-side up on a baking sheet, brush 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the tops and insides of squash halves. Roast in oven until fork tender, about 40 to 55 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When it foams, add brown sugar, onion, celery seed, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Add broth and rice, bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until liquid is absorbent, about 20 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan and bacon.
6. Carefully scoop out 2 to 3 tablespoons flesh from each squash half and stir into rice mixture.
7. Divide rice filling among the roasted squash halves. Drizzle remaining tablespoon of butter over top.
8. Continue roasting for 5 minutes, until warmed through.
9. Serve

Enjoy! 

Roasted Honey-Dijon Acorn Squash

Acorn squash:  

Like its name suggests, resembles an acorn in shape; has dark green ridged skin on the outside, and deep yellowish orange flesh on the inside.

It is a great winter squash for roasting, with this recipe complementing it deliciously.

After preparing the squash, fill the cavity with a blend of butter, honey and Dijon mustard, then slide it into the oven for a great side-dish to accompany turkey, ham, chicken, or roast goose.

There you have it ~ a delicious single-serving bowl for everyone around your table!

Roasted Honey-Dijon Acorn Squash
Printable recipe  

Ingredients:

2 acorn squash
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons honey
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 375º.
Cut off stem from squash, set squash on its side and cut in half vertically.
Scrape out seeds and stringy material from the cavity, with a large spoon.
Mix butter, mustard, honey, and salt and pepper in a small bowl until blended.
Fill each squash cavity with 2 tablespoons of butter mixture.
Bake until squash is tender, 1 hour to 1½ hours.
Serve

ENJOY!


 

A Healthy Splash of Bourbon in the Acorn Squash

Having grown up in Louisville, I’ve been along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail more than once, and know a healthy splash of bourbon can’t hurt.

Without doubt, bourbon jacks up the taste of acorn squash.  This dish is the perfect balance of sweet and savory, thanks to the heavenly flavors of butter, maple syrup and bourbon, floating together in the squash cavities. It’s delicious and goes well with pork, ham or turkey.
 

The distinctive flavor of bourbon sends this squash over the top.  What a way to eat your veggies!

Bourbon Baked Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

1 acorn squash

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

¼ cup bourbon

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Salt and seasoned pepper, to taste

Method:

Preheat oven at 375 degrees.

Cut squash in half and set cut-side up on baking dish.

Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl.

Pour into squash cavities.

Brush edges with mixture.

Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, until fork tender, basting once during baking time.

Serve

ENJOY!

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Rice and Dried Cherries

Two towns northwest of us is Woodstock. The paved-brick town square holds a farmers’ market every Tuesday and Saturday throughout growing season.  This time of year, it’s jam-packed with a huge variety of colorful squashes. 

Music at the gazebo on market day

Few vegetables impart a better combination of nutrition, flavor and storability than squash.  Acorn squash is a winter squash that is one of my favorites for roasting.  They’re easy to slice, and bake with just a little butter, and have a delicious, slightly fibrous flesh. 

Even better, is to stuff the squash with this stuffing.  The hearty rice and sweet dried cherries make it a tasty autumn dish for your family and friends.  I think it would be even more delicious with a little sautéed sausage added to it for a holiday side dish.

As a side note, for those of you who may have seen the movie, “Groundhog Day,” with Bill Murray ~ it was filmed in Woodstock, as were several scenes from “Planes Trains and Automobiles.”  On top of all that, it was also the home of Chester Gould, the cartoonist and the creator of the Dick Tracy comic strip.  It’s one famous little town!

Photo credit:  Columbia pictures Groundhog Day

 

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Rice and Dried Cherries

Ingredients:

2 acorn squashes, halved lengthwise and seeds removed

2 tablespoons butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 small onion, chopped

½ teaspoon dried sage

Sea salt and seasoned pepper, to taste

1 cup long grain white rice, cooked with chicken broth

1 cup brown rice, cooked with chicken broth

¾ cup dried cherries

½ cup chopped pecans, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

On a baking sheet, arrange squash cut side won and roast until tender, about 30 minutes.

In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat.

Add garlic, onion and sage; season with salt and pepper.

Cook, until tender, 3-5 minutes.

Add cooked rice and toss to combine.

Remove from heat and stir in cherries and nuts.

Season the inside of squash halves with salt and pepper.

Divide stuffing among squash.

Serve

ENJOY!!!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and easy recipes! 

Baked Acorn Squash with Spinach

Acorn squash is our favorite winter squash. So many recipes for it as a side dish include butter with brown sugar, maple syrup, nutmeg and cinnamon. I'm not one for really sweet foods other than desserts and candy so, I wanted to incorporate another vegetable with the squash for a more savory dish.

Acorn squash is filled with amazing health benefits:

• Cancer-fighting properties: Acorn squash contains a large amount of phytonutrients and antioxidants that have anti-carcinogenic effects on the body.

• Men's health: This particular squash may help reduce the symptoms of an enlarged prostate. 
• Protects against birth defects: Expectant mothers would do good to add acorn squash to their diet this fall and winter.

• Immune system support: Eat acorn squash and protect yourself from this year’s cold and flu season.
• Lung health: Asthma sufferers can help alleviate their symptoms by consuming acorn squash. 
• Heart and cholesterol benefits: The beta-carotene in acorn squash prohibits the oxidation of cholesterol in the body, thereby preventing the progression of atherosclerosis. 
• Arthritis alleviation: By using its anti-inflammatory benefits, acorn squash can help ease the pain of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.
• Acorn squash is jam-packed with beta-carotene, folate, potassium, manganese, copper, omega 3 fatty-acids, vitamins B1, B3, B5 and B6 and Vitamin C.

These things are all great but, the very best thing of all about acorn squash is the taste. Acorn squash is distinctive in its color and shape and is mildly sweet and tender. It has a richer, meatier flavor and more nutrients than summer squash.

All of this leads me to the recipe. The squash is baked twice: the first time for making it tender and the second for incorporating the good flavors of spinach, Parmesan cheese, a little bacon and spice. I had a lone tomato and placed it on top before baking, for added color and taste. Serving it in the half-shell, makes for a perfect serving bowl for this absolutely delicious side dish!

Here it is:

Ready for 2nd baking

Baked Acorn Squash with Spinach

Ingredients:

1 acorn squash

8 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

¼ cup onion, chopped

¼ cup Oscar Meyer Real Bacon Bits or fry crisp 2 strips bacon

1 teaspoon softened butter

¼ teaspoon salt and pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

2 tomato slices

Method:

Cut squash in half, discarding seeds.

Place upside down on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes or until fork tender.

Scoop out pulp, leaving a ¼” shell.

In a large bowl, combine squash, spinach, onion, bacon bits, butter salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and 4 tablespoons cheese.

Spoon into shells.

Top with tomato slice and remaining Parmesan cheese,

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until heated through

Serve

This is absolutely delicious and I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as we do!

Check out my friend, Linda’s blog, at My Kind of Cooking for her great recipes and cookbook giveaway!