Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash

There’s turkey in this seasoned and roasted acorn squash.

There’s apples in this recipe.

And sweet potatoes.

It’s kind of ridiculous how much fall there is in this recipe, but I love it. I’m loving every bit of it because it’s finally feeling like fall here.

And it will for a while, even if the colors go quickly.

In Virginia, the fall colors show up just in time for Halloween and then are gone, but December and January usually still feel like really cold fall. February becomes second summer. There have been February days where I’ve been out running in shorts and a t-shirt because it’s randomly 70 degrees. Winter, real winter, shows up in March, just in time to shock everyone’s system and give all the TV anchors reason to shake with fear over the fate of the cherry blossoms {the cold has only impacted them one year I’ve lived here out of four, and they were still pretty gorgeous}.

Plenty of time to enjoy this delicious fall treat!

I love acorn squash. My little family remains skeptical {Scott hates squash in general and Marcus remains suspicious of things either of us won’t eat} but I’m slowly winning at least the wee man over to my side of things.

But pretty much everyone loves this stuffed squash. Even if they don’t eat the exterior of the squash the stuffing is put into.

Add in a little fall flavor with these small sweet potatoes and fresh apples, and you’re set for a delicious fall meal – even if it’s really winter. And even if your little family is reluctant to enjoy fall produce.

This one is a winner.

Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash

Serves 4. Approx 450 calories.

What You’ll Need:

• 2 acorn squash
• 2 apples
• 2 small sweet potatoes {or one large}
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp dried sage
• fresh grated parmesan

How to Make Them:

1. Preheat oven to 450F.

2. Slice the squash in half from stem to bottom. Scoop out the seeds and pulp. Place the acorn squash on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with brown sugar and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Bake the squash 25-35 minutes or until slightly browned and fork tender.

4. While the squash is baking, heat the butter in a large skillet. Dice the sweet potatoes into small 1/4-1/2 inch cubes and saute the cubes in the skillet until tender, 15 minutes or so. Remove to a small bowl.

5. In the same skillet, drizzle olive oil and add the turkey. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up clumps, until browned.

6. Dice the apples and add the apples, sweet potatoes, broth, and herbs to the skillet with the turkey. Cook 5 minutes to heat through and stir to combine.

7. When the squash is done, scoop out some of the squash to make a large hollow for the stuffing to fill. Add that squash to the skillet with the turkey mixture and combine, and then spoon the mixture back into the squash. Top generously with parmesan.

8. Bake the squash at 450F for 5 minutes to brown the cheese and heat everything through.

9. Serve and enjoy!

Note: To make this vegetarian, eliminate the turkey and substitute quinoa or wild rice.

Note 2: To plant the seeds you scrape out of an acorn squash {or really any squash}, start by soaking the seeds and any pulp that comes out with them in a bucket in water. Allow the mix to ferment for 2-4 days to separate the good seeds from bad. Good will sink to the bottom of the bucket and bad seeds and pulp will float. Spread the good seeds on a screen or paper towel and dry completely, then store them in a glass jar or envelope. Store in the freezer for two days to kill off any residual bacteria, and then keep in the refrigerator until you’re ready to plant them.

What else would you guys try stuffing these with?