Turkey Dinner Stuffed Acorn Squash
Yield: 4 servings
Featuring stuffing, turkey, cranberries, parmesan and more, this Turkey Dinner Stuffed Acorn Squash has all the tastes and flavors of Thanksgiving in one dish. A perfect stuffed squash recipe to enjoy all fall and winter long!
Equipment
Ingredients
for the squash
- 2 large acorn squash about 2-1/4 lbs. each
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
for the stuffing mixture
- 6 c. cubed English muffin toasting bread 1/2" in size, divided
- ⅔ c. roasted salted pecans
- ½ c. cubed Parmesan cheese 1/4" in size
- ½ T. fresh thyme leaves
- ½ T. minced fresh sage
for the turkey mixture
- 1 T. olive oil
- 1 c. diced yellow onion
- 1-1/2 c. diced Honeycrisp or Haralson apple cored, with skin on
- 2 large cloves garlic minced
- 3 c. cubed cooked turkey breast 1/2" in size
- ⅔ c. dried cranberries coarsely chopped if they are especially large
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- ¼ c. reduced sodium turkey or chicken broth
- ½ tsp. kosher salt or to taste
- 1 T. melted unsalted butter
- ¼ c. shredded Parmesan
Instructions
- for the squash: Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a rimmed pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, if desired.
- Wash and dry the exterior of each squash. Then carefully cut each one in half with a large, sharp knife. Scoop out seeds with a spoon; discard seeds or save for roasting. Brush 1/2 teaspoon olive oil over the cut side of each squash half. Sprinkle the cut sides with kosher salt. Place squash halves, cut side down, on baking sheet and cook for about 35 minutes, until the flesh is just nicely softened. Adjust cook time for smaller or larger sized squash. Remove squash from oven and lower the oven temperature to 350° F.
- for the stuffing mixture: Add 5-1/2 cups of the bread, pecans, Parmesan, thyme, and sage to a food processor. Pulse until mixture is chopped and crumbly, with a few larger pieces of bread cubes, pecans, and Parmesan remaining. Refer to my photo in the post, if needed. Set aside.
- for the turkey mixture: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once skillet is hot, stir in onion and apple. Sauté until just softened, stirring occasionally. Then stir in garlic and sauté for two minutes more. Fold in turkey and dried cranberries, and then the prepared stuffing mixture and black pepper. Drizzle turkey broth over the top; fold to combine. Taste test, adding kosher salt as needed.
- Add half a cup of turkey mixture to the center of each cooked squash half, pressing it in lightly but firmly. Then add more turkey mixture on top of that, to form a generous mound. Press a few of the reserved bread cubes onto the top of each mound, and then spoon the melted butter over the top of the bread cubes. Sprinkle bread cubes with a bit more kosher salt and ground black pepper. Place stuffed squash back into the oven for another 10 to 12 minutes to heat throughout. Remove from oven and serve immediately, with freshly grated Parmesan sprinkled over the tops.
Notes
This dish is great with a simple, fresh green salad. I recommend serving it with my maple Dijon dressing from this Holiday Wild Rice Salad. This Harvest Salad features a curry fig vinaigrette, which would also pair very well!
from a farmgirl's dabbles
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 449kcal Carbohydrates: 41g Protein: 66g Fat: 22g Saturated Fat: 7g Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g Cholesterol: 105mg Sodium: 509mg Fiber: 19g Sugar: 34g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.