Autumn Glory Stuffed Acorn Squash

Skill level: Moderate

This stuffed acorn squash recipe combines roasted squash with a hearty filling of wild rice, mushrooms, kale, and apples. As the squash roasts, it becomes tender and slightly caramelized, pairing well with the savory, textured stuffing. The addition of apples brings a subtle contrast to the earthy ingredients, while herbs and spices round out the flavor. This recipe works well as a main dish or side and is a reliable option for seasonal meals or meal prep.

Ingredients

• 2 acorn squash, halved and deseeded
• ½ cup wild rice, uncooked
• 1 ½ cups (354 ml) vegetable broth/stock
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 cups chopped mushrooms
• 2 cups chopped kale, loosely packed
• 1 Autumn Glory® apple, chopped (about 1 ¼ cups)
• 1 teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper, more or less to taste
• ¼ cup pepitas (or pumpkin seeds)
• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
• Fresh thyme & fresh sage (optional; I add about 1 tsp of each)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400ᵒF.
2. Wash the acorn squash and slice each in half from stem to end, removing the seeds & stringy flesh inside. Add the squash halves to a baking tray covered with parchment paper and season by rubbing with olive oil, salt, & pepper. Then flip upside down so the fleshy side is facing down, and add to the oven to bake for 40-45 minutes, until cooked through. Once cooked, flip over and set aside to be filled.
3. Once the squash is in the oven, add the wild rice and vegetable broth to a small saucepan and stir together. Cover, turn the heat on, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 40-45 minutes until cooked through. Cooked wild rice will be chewy but should be tender.
4. While the squash and wild rice are cooking, make the filling. Cut the shallots, garlic, mushrooms, apples, and kale before starting. Then, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pan and heat over medium heat.
5. Once the oil is hot, add in the shallots & garlic and sauté for 3 minutes until beginning to brown and caramelize. Then add the chopped mushrooms, stir, and cook for another 5 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to brown and crisp.
6. Next, add in the chopped kale, chopped Autumn Glory apple, salt, and pepper. Stir and sauté with the other ingredients over low heat for another 2-3 minutes until the kale has wilted and the apples are slightly cooked.
7. Then, turn off the heat and add in the pepitas, dried cranberries, cooked wild rice, fresh thyme, and fresh sage. Mix together and season with additional salt & pepper to your liking.
8. Fill each cooked acorn squash half with the wild rice stuffing. Then, garnish with additional fresh sage & thyme and serve warm. Enjoy!

Recipe created by Short Girl Tall Order for Superfresh Growers.