If you’re having your in-laws over for Thanksgiving {or someone else you’d like to impress}, I suggest doubling, or tripling this recipe for stuffed acorn squash. A nice full platter of this squash dish would look amazing on any table, any time of year.
And the taste? Awesome possum!
Thanksgiving Recipes – Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
1 acorn squash halved lengthwise, seeds and pulp removed
1 apple, diced {I used granny smith}
1 small onion, minced
2 cups water
1 cup wild rice*
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup fresh spinach, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place squash cut side down on a lined baking sheet {I used a Silpat}.*
- Bake acorn squash for 30 – 40 minutes until tender.
- While the squash is baking, in a large saucepan combined the rice, water, apple,butter, garlic, parsley, thyme, onion, and salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to simmer.
- Cook rice for 20 minutes or until the water is all absorbed.
- Fold in spinach and cranberries.
- Place acorn squash on a platter, fill with rice mixture and spread extra rice around the bottom of the platter.
Looking for more yummy vegetable recipes? Check out The Fresh & Green Table* By Susie Middleton. Amazon currently has it in stock and ready to ship.
*Direct link to Amazon product
Lina says
oooh I like the idea of adding an apple! I usually make this with the giant bag of quinoa that I got at Costco 6 months ago and am still trying to get through.
Elizabeth says
They look like something I might try some other time but Thanksgiving is something we do not change or mess with. I cook the exact same meal my mother did as we were growing up, which actually was very similar to my husbands so it is tradition. I always kind of envy the magazine articles with all the fantastic looking foods and think, another time, but not Thanksgiving. BTW, most everyone comes to my house, from my and my husbands family. We don’t have large families, but there will be IF WEATHER COOPERATES about 16. No little children, all adults.
This is it…
TURKEY
STUFFING made with bread, raisins, apples onions and celery NOT inside turkey. Must make 6-8 breadloaf pans of it
SWEET POTATOES no marshmallow stuff, glazed with maple
MASHED POTATOES, not garlic or mixed with any thing but butter and milk
WEIRD GREEN JELLO SALAD lime jello w cottage cheese, chopped walnuts, chopped maraschino cherries, chopped celery and crushed pineapple. we have it every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Any one else ever seen this recipe? My mother has no recollection as to where she got the recipe.
CRANBERRY SAUCE cooked from scratch
ROLLS homemade fresh that morning and CRESCENT too.
GRAVY…turkey and a vegetarian mushroom
LENTIL LOAF and or TOFURKEY depending on the concensus…we have a large number of vegetarians so all of the side dishes are vegetarian and some are vegan.
GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE also one of those dishes appears 2 times a year.
RELISH TRAY
PUMPKIN PIES
PECAN PIE
and several other pies…this year one will be cherry and another coconut cream and probably an apple.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
Elizabeth says
Oops forgot the COLESLAW….my husband would not forgive me.
Helen in Meridian says
When you say 1/2 spinach, do you mean half a pkg frozen spinach, or 1/2 bag spinach or 1/2 c. spinach? Do you cook the spinach, or does it wilt mixed in with the hot rice mixture?
Mavis says
I used 1/2 fresh spinach. I just fold it in at the end and the heat of the rice wilts it just fine. 🙂
bonnie fuentevilla says
Yes, I’m with Helen. What is the 411 on the spinach ?
Mavis says
Fixed!
Deb Miller says
I like trying something new at the holidays. I just made this and it is awesome. I do believe it will be gracing our table for Thanksgiving.
Mavis says
Yay! I’m glad you liked it.
Laura says
I just made this. I tweeked it a little. I added about a 1/4 lb. of hot Italian sausage. I used basmati and wild mix from Trader Joes and added a little feta at the end. Delish! Thanks for the recipe.
Mavis says
Ohhh I bet it tasted yummY!
Rosaleen says
Another quickie near-cheat stuffed squash dish: Mix one can of cranberry whole berry sauce with one can of apple pie filing. Add nuts if desired. (I used walnuts.) Fill acorn squash halves with the fruit mixture and bake as desired. My family had no idea how easy this was (MANY years ago) and thought I’d worked very hard on this. Ha!
Mary says
This would be great with pork chops (or chicken) anytime during cold months.
MaryL says
This healthy dish would be great served with pork chops (or chicken) during the winter months. We love it!