Stuffed acorn squash makes for an easy weeknight meal. It’s easy to prepare and you can create numerous variations depending on the additional produce you have on hand.
To make this recipe grain-free, I use riced cauliflower and cook it along with the sautéed onions and celery. If you can tolerate grains, then soaked and cooked brown rice would be perfect for this recipe.
My mom taught me years ago that whenever you use dried fruit in a recipe (cooking or baking) you can add so much flavor by plumping the fruit. All you need is a bit of juice and some heat; you’ll transform those little dried grapes into soft, juicy raisins with a new burst of flavor.
You should try plumping raisins in rum before you add it to pumpkin bread. The flavor is so, so good!
When it comes to roasting vegetables, I always reach for a stable animal fat like ghee or duck fat. These saturated animal fats come with a wealth of nutrients including vitamins A, D, E, K, omegas and so much more. Plus, they can take the high heat and not oxidize.
Here’s more info on healthy fats and oils for cooking and baking.
You can actually serve the filling all on its own as a side dish if you’re late on time and don’t want to roast the squash. It would make a great side for Thanksgiving!
Here are a few more stuffed squash recipes you might be interested in:
Mediterranean Stuffed Squash by Bev Cooks
Stuffed Zucchini with Turkey Sausage by Simply Recipes
Zucchini Stuffed with Mushrooms, Sausage and Sage by The Kitchn
Stuffed Acorn Squash (Grain-Free, Paleo, Gaps)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main Dish
- Diet: Gluten Free
For the Squash:
- 2 acorn squash, cut in half pole-to-pole, seeds removed
- 1 tablespoons ghee, melted (or duck fat for dairy-free)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Celtic sea salt
For the filling:
- 4 tablespoons ghee (or duck fat for dairy-free)
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 cups “riced” cauliflower*
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/3 cup pecans (omit for nut-free)
- 1/4 cup plumped raisins**
- 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450ºF and adjust rack to middle position. Place squash, cut-side up, on a baking sheet. Combine ghee and honey then brush the squash with the mixture using a pastry brush. Season with sea salt. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons ghee in a large sauté pan and swirl to coat. Add onion and celery then cook, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes until soft. Stir in cauliflower and cook for 3-4 minutes until hot. Stir in thyme, pecans, raisins, sea salt and pepper. Spoon filling into acorn squash and roast for 20 minutes. Serve.
*To rice cauliflower: Cut cauliflower into bite-size pieces and place half of the pieces in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 12-15 times until cauliflower is the size of rice. Repeat. As an alternative, you can grate the cauliflower with a cheese grater or chop finely with a large chef’s knife.
**To plump raisins: Place raisins and 1/4 cup juice (orange, apple, even kombucha works!) in a small saucepan. Bring to a low simmer. Turn off heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove raisins.
