Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash
This Stuffed Acorn Squash is a healthy, delicious side dish or vegetarian main meal sweetened with brown sugar & maple syrup and stuffed with quinoa, apples & pecans.
Servings: 6 servings (as main dish)
Calories: 413kcal
Ingredients
- 3 medium acorn squash, halved lengthwise and seeds removed
- 4 Tablespoons butter, melted divided
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar, packed
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 cups COOKED quinoa (change it up by cooking in 1 cup vegetable broth & 1 cup orange juice)
- 1-2 Tablespoons light olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, chopped
- 2 medium shallots, minced
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
- ⅔ cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
- 1 large apple, washed, cored & diced
- Parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Cut squash in half, from top to bottom. Scoop out pulp and seeds. Lay cut side up on the prepared baking sheet. If it doesn't lie flat, cut a bit off the bottom.
- Mix 3 tablespoons melted butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup together. Brush the top and insides of all the squash with a pastry brush. Lightly salt & pepper it to taste. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
- While squash is cooking, prepare quinoa. You can prepare it with the usual 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water or substitute 1 cup vegetable broth and 1 cup orange juice for the water. Bring to a boil, cover and cook 15 minutes. Set aside.
- Prepare stuffing ingredients. Place olive oil in a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Saute onions, shallots, celery, and garlic until softened, about 6-8 minutes. Season with thyme, sage, and salt & pepper to taste.
- Remove onion-garlic mixture from heat and stir in 2 cups cooked quinoa (save the rest for Quinoa Spinach Cakes or Tabouli), pecans and diced apples.
- Divide stuffing between the partailly cooked squash halves. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Place them back in the oven and cook for an additional 30 minutes or until the squash are tender.
- Garnish with parsley if desired.
Notes
STORE/REHEAT
Store leftover stuffed squash in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat the squash in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes until warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 1095mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 1262IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 3mg
