It’s gourd season and I’m excited! I picked up an acorn squash and decided I should try making stuffed acorn squash.

Varieties of Squash I Love

I’m such a fan of squash. I love making spaghetti squash for a healthy alternative to spaghetti. I also love butternut squash roasted with olive oil and garlic for a healthy side dish. Another favorite of mine is kabocha squash. You can eat it with the rind on. When I prepare it, I slice it and then cover it with brown sugar and roast it. I’m such a fan of the texture of the Kabocha squash. If you’re curious about other squash varieties, this is a great article. 

If you haven’t tried acorn squash before, it is very similar in texture to butternut. I find the flavor slightly less sweet, which is great for a savory stuffed acorn squash recipe like I made. I chose to focus on a vegan-friendly recipe, but you could easily change it up to make it vegetarian by adding cheese. You could also add parmesan and butter to my recipe for extra savory goodness. I’ve also seen several stuffed acorn squash recipes that incorporate sausage. Sausage is a strong flavor but I think it would pair really well with quinoa and veggies, if you do want to incorporate meat.  Another idea I will try in the future is to add mushrooms to the quinoa stuffing mix. Mushrooms add richness and a meaty flavor for vegetarian and vegan dishes. 

The great thing about this stuffed acorn squash recipe is that you could pretty much use any ingredients that you want in the stuffing. You could use quinoa, rice, wild rice, or another grain like bulgar. I like quinoa for the added protein. I also added some roasted seeds from the inside of the acorn squash for a little extra crunch. The veggie mix I made included chopped and sauteed sweet potato, red onion, celery, parsley, thyme, and sage.  You can add any veggies and grains that you enjoy.

Overall, I love this acorn squash recipe. It’s definitely going to be a staple for me this winter. If you try it, definitely leave me a comment and tell me what you think! I’d love to hear how you change or adapt the stuffing to fit your preferences!

Shockingly, I’ve never made squash on my blog before, but if you’re looking for other healthy side dish recipes, click here. 

Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe

Ingredients (serves 2):

Acorn Squash
1 cup cooked quinoa (follow package instructions)
1/2 sweet potato
1/2 red onion
1 stalk celery
1 tablespoon minced parsley
2 tsp minced thyme
2 tsp minced sage
Olive Oil (for roasting)
Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400. Slice your acorn squash in half and clean out the inside. You can clean and roast the seeds if you wish. Drizzle the squash with olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Roast cut side down for 30 minutes until golden brown on the cut side. Flip over and check doneness. If the squash is tender to the touch, it’s done. 

While the squash is roasting, cook your quinoa based on the package instructions. Finely chop your vegetables and sautee them until translucent and starting to brown. Add your herbs near the end so they don’t overcook. 

Mix together your quinoa and veggies and add have to each of your squash. You may have some leftover quinoa/veggie mix depending on the size of your squash centers. Serve warm or at room temperature (could also be served cold if that’s your thing). I sprinkled some extra minced parsley on top for color. They can be reheated in the oven or microwave if you have leftovers.