Stuffed Acorn Squash

This is one of my favorite fall recipes.  It looks beautiful and appears to be labor intensive, but it isn’t.  When it’s all said and done, it takes about an hour from beginning of prep to the time it arrives on the table.  The original recipe is from a newspaper clipping.  I have made a few changes, but it is still delicious!

Ingredients:

2 medium acorn squash

1 pound ground beef or deer

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tart apple, chopped (I use Granny Smith)

1 glove garlic, minced

2 T. brown rice flour

3 T. gluten free soy sauce (I use Kikkoman’s- just make sure it says gluten free on it)

salt to taste

3 T. dry red wine (I used merlot)

optional if not dairy free: 1/2 c. shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, or Parmesan)

Directions:

Cut squash in half from stem to tip and throw away seeds.  Fill baking dish to 1/2 inch depth with hot water (I just microwave the water).  Place squash, cut side down, in a baking dish.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

While the squash is cooking, brown the ground beef with the chopped onion, apple, and garlic until meat is cooked.  Sprinkle in flour and stir well. Add soy sauce and wine and stir.  Bring mixture to a boil and stir until it thickens.  Remove from heat.

Remove squash pan from oven and carefully turn each half over (leave the water in the pan) and fill each half with the meat concoction.  I press it down into the squash halves to try to make it all fit :-).  Cook the filled squash in the pan with the water still in the pan for another 15 minutes until meat begins to brown on top slightly.  If you are not dairy free, you may top with cheese and return to the oven for another 5 minutes.

To serve, remove the squash from the pan and place on a plate.  To eat, scoop out one bite at a time, no knife needed.  I usually serve this by itself- it has veggies and meat included and is way more filling than you’d think.

Original recipe from “Harvest Stuffed Squash” The Eagle [Bryan], 13 September 2009. Taste of Home Cooking School p. 22.

Author: glutenfreeveganish

I eat gluten, dairy, and egg free and want to make food that other people would want to eat too. View all posts by glutenfreeveganish