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! 

Seasoned Summer Squash Sauté Side

Now that summer squashes and tomatoes are abundant in farmer's markets, backyard gardens, and in grocery stores, this fresh-tasting recipe is perfect for using up the produce and is over the top in goodness!

There are hundreds of varieties of summer squash, ranging from dark green to bright yellow, long to stubby, smooth to ridged to lumpy ~  from crookneck, to green and yellow and pattypan, to zucchini.

It’s a complicated family of veggies, and any one of them would be great for this recipe.  I used zucchini and crookneck summer squash, choose your favorites. 

Ready for tomatoes and mushrooms!

The squash was sautéed with garlic, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, seasoned with Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy, finishing with a little cheese melting over all.

This was simple, and delicious for dinner and just as tasty leftover at lunchtime the next day!

Yield: Serves 4Author: Pam

Seasoned Summer Squash Sauté

prep time: 5 MINScook time: 15 MINStotal time: 20 mins

This squash sauté is delicious and just as good later, should there be leftovers!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 pounds (about 2 or 3) zucchini and summer squash, sliced 
• 1 large Vidalia onion, cut into large pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 2 large tomatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 basil leaves, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon Mrs Dash Extra Spicy
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ½ cup sharp cheddar, shredded

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add squash, onion and garlic, and cook just until slightly browned, 2-3 minutes.
2. Turn heat to medium-high, add tomatoes, mushrooms, and balsamic vinegar, stirring occasionally for about 5-6 minutes, allowing juices to evaporate some.
3. Add basil and seasonings, combine well.
4. Scatter cheese over top, allow to melt and toss lightly.
5. Serve and enjoy!

Enjoy!

Apple and Pecan Stuffed Sweet Dumpling Squash plus a Supermoon Stargazer Alert!

The filling is the highlight here, as is the case in most stuffed dishes!

This scalloped smooth-textured tiny squash is about the size of a softball, and has cream-colored skin with green specks and stripes ~ resembling a mini-pumpkin with its top pushed in.

It’s a mild-tasting sweet squash with tender orange meat that is great for stuffing and baking.

This is easy to prepare:  a mixture of fresh apples, dried cherries, chopped pecans, butter and spices, to stuff the sweet squash and bake until the squash is tender.

Stuffing

Oven-ready

There’s little better on the supper table on a cool fall night or…

At the Thanksgiving table!


Apple and Pecan Stuffed Sweet Dumpling Squash
Printable recipe

Ingredients: 

2 sweet dumpling squash
½ cup apples, diced small
¼ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup dried cherries, diced
1 tablespoon crystallized ginger, diced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°.
Cut each squash in half and scoop out seeds.
In a medium bowl, add apples, cherries, brown sugar, melted butter, salt, pepper, and spices.
Fill the squash cavities with equal amounts of apple mixture.
Place squash on a baking sheet and lightly cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 40 minutes, remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes, until squash is fork tender.


Enjoy!



On another note...

Stargazer alert:  Gear up for tonight's extra-bright Supermoon!

The rare occurrence will make the full moon appear bigger and brighter in the sky, and this event will be the biggest supermoon in 68 years. Supermoons occur about once every 13 months, at the point when the moon is closest to the Earth in its orbit, and they can appear to be as much as 14% larger and 30% brighter than an average full moon, according to NASA.

At its closest point today, the moon will be about 221,524 miles from Earth — about 30,000 miles closer than is typical. The moon hasn’t been this close since 1948, and it won’t be this near again until Nov. 25, 2034.

And you don't even have to be a stargazer or need a telescope ~ just look up!

Supermoon over Chicago River by Dancin Artworks

Weather permitting, it's a sky-show the whole planet can observe and 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!


 

Creamy Spaghetti Squash w/Garlic

Spaghetti squash is one versatile veggie; it’s nutritious and tastes good too!

However, it probably doesn’t get all the love it deserves.  It has a delicate buttery taste, without adding butter; making it a healthy substitute for pasta, if a person is limiting carb intake.

Scooped out

Nearly done cooking

This is a creamy dish, that’s easy to pull together.  If you’ve never cooked the squash, this is a good recipe to start with!  Next time, I will be adding more garlic…

Creamy Spaghetti Squash w/Garlic

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash

1 small onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup low-sodium chicken broth

¼ cup half and half or milk

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 tablespoon dried parsley

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut squash in half and remove seeds.

Bake squash, cut-side down on a baking sheet for about 45 minutes, until fork tender, let cool to handle.

Shred squash with a fork, lengthwise like spaghetti strands, set aside.

In a hot skillet, sauté onions and garlic until tender.

Add shredded squash and mix.

Season with salt and pepper.

Blend in chicken broth and half and half.

Add cheese and parsley, combine well.

Remove to serving dish.

Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan, if desired.

Serve

ENJOY!

Summer Squash au Gratin

This little dish would never win the most photogenic prize at the state fair culinary competition, but it would acquire a blue ribbon in the taste category.

This is your recipe, if you want to switch up your plain grilled veggies.  The zucchini, summer squash, and onions bake in their own juices until tender, and the crisp breadcrumbs with Parmesan turns it all into a comforting side dish.

It’s positively worth turning the oven on for! 

Summer Squash au Gratin

Ingredients:

2 pounds zucchini and yellow crookneck squash

1 large red onion, sliced

¼ cup olive oil

1/3 cup Italian-style bread crumbs

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon flaked salt

1 teaspoon seasoned pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove stem ends and slice the squash cross-wise into ¼” slices.

Slice onion into ¼” slices.

Toss veggies with olive oil to coat.

Arrange in a 9” x 12” rectangular or round baking dish or a 10” pie plate.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the top is crispy.

 

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!

Roast Squash Medley and more…

We had a great fun time at Bill’s reunion ~ sooo many “old” people there…

Las Vegas was a blast as usual, and Elton John was the best.  The photo below is the gargantuan project under construction, to open early 2014.   

To give a little perspective, the photo is taken from the 21^st floor of the Flamingo, in the very middle of the strip, where the Ferris wheel is located.  It is to be the largest Ferris wheel in the world:  28 pods, holding 40 people, that’s over 1100 crazy brave people, floating over Las Vegas, 550 feet into the sky; taking anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour for a revolution; according to which story you read.

Holy moly!!!

Delicious food all over the place there, but here’s a delicious dish I made when we returned…

Vegetables ~ Roasted.

Butternut Squash.  Carrots.  Broccoli.

Maple Syrup.  Pecans.

Perfect!

The temperature is really falling here now, and there’s something about the cooler weather that makes a hearty healthy vegetable dish like this very appealing.

Maple syrup, squash and carrots were made for each other.  Broccoli adds great color and ups the nutritional value of the dish, with pecans adding a nutty crunch to the mix. 

This recipe is from the Chicago Tribune.  It’s colorful, healthy and delicious; maybe it just might make an appearance on our Thanksgiving table.  And, I’m wondering ~ a dash of cinnamon, perhaps…

Roast Squash Medley

Adapted

Ingredients:

2 pounds (about 1 large) butternut squash, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes

4 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks

1 pound broccoli florets

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon seasoned pepper

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1/3 cup toasted pecans, halved

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss together first 7 ingredients (up to syrup) in a large bowl.

Spread vegetables out on rimmed baking sheet (may need two pans).

Slide into oven and roast, stirring twice until broccoli is browned and all the vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes.

Pour maple syrup over vegetables, stir.

Roast 5 minutes more.

Scatter on nuts and toss.

ENJOY!!!

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