Savory Stuffed Delicata Squash
When fall comes around I’m all about squash. I like all of them and love utilizing them in various ways. They can be used for desserts, dinners, lunches and breakfast. The fact that you can make them in a sweet or savory dish is so fun. These savory stuffed delicata squash are such a yummy dinner. The delicata squash itself is on the sweeter side and blends perfectly with the savory filling.
I love that you can change the seasoning on this dish and therefore change the flavor profile. If you’re in an Italian mood, use Italian seasoning and cheeses, or if you’re feeling more Mexican, try adding taco seasoning and cheddar cheese. You can bulk it up with beans, or go completely vegetarian with tofu. This dish is very versatile.
Ingredients
Delicata Squash – They are smaller in size, easy to cut and stuff. Try to get them all the same size.
Ground Beef – You can use a leaner ground beef for this, or you can substitute in ground turkey.
Shallot – Add as nice sweetness but you can also use a small yellow onion,
Garlic – For flavor
Red Pepper – This is optional but it helps bulk up the filling and more veggies are always good right.
Spinach – I just use regular prepackaged baby spinach.
Cauliflower Rice – I like to use the frozen rice, it takes less time to cook. You can also use regular rice, if you don’t like cauliflower rice.
Diced Tomatoes – Canned tomatoes work great in this recipe.
Italian Seasoning
S & P
Mozzarella Cheese – Shredded mozzarella cheese is a great addition but if you’re dairy free you can omit it.
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Instructions
First cut the squash in half, remove the seeds and place them on a baking tray. Then sprinkle them with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and roast them for about an hour or until they are fork tender.
As the squash is cooking, prepare the filling. Sauté the red pepper (optional), onion, and garlic first. Once the onions and peppers are tender remove them from the pan and set them aside. Then you brown the meat until it is no longer pink. Once the meat is cooked add the peppers, onions, garlic and all in the other ingredients. I like to use cauliflower rice here but regular rice can be used instead. A nice handful of spinach also adds a bit of color and more veggies to the dish. Once the filling is prepared, set it aside until the squash is ready.
Once the squash is roasted, fill the shells with the meat mixture. You may have some extra meat. At this point, if you are adding cheese, you do that here, and then return it all to the oven to melt the cheese. If you are opting out of cheese, then you can stuff the squash and eat them right away.
Storage Tips
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator.
Recipe Substitutions
- You can use ground turkey instead of ground beef
- A yellow onion can be used in place of the shallot.
- You can use regular white rice in place of the riced cauliflower.
- If you need to keep the recipe dairy-free you can omit the mozzarella.
- If you don’t have mozzarella cheese you can sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top once it’s been filled.
Stuffed Delicata Squash
Materials
- 4 Delicata Squash
- 1 lb Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
- 1 Shallot or small onion chopped
- 2-3 Cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 Red Pepper Optional
- 1 Large Handful Spinach
- 1 8-12 oz Cauliflower Rice, frozen Or regular rice, already cooked
- 2-2 1/2 Cups Diced tomatoes (canned)
- 1 Tsp Italian Seasoning
- Salt & Pepper
- 8 oz Mozzarella Cheese Optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F
Prepare The Squash
- Cut squash in half and remove seeds.
- Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt & pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake for 40 min or until fork tender.
Prepare The Filling
- Chop the onion and pepper (if using) and mince the garlic.
- In a large frying pan, heat oil and add the onion and pepper and saute for 5 min then add the minced garlic. Once the onion and pepper are fork tender remove them to a bowl and set aside.
- Fry the ground beef or turkey until no longer pink and drain any fat.
- Add in the cauliflower rice, the cooked onions, pepper, and garlic, and stir.
- Add the diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning and stir. If it seems dry add a bit of water.
- Add a large handful of spinach, and simmer the mixture for about 5 min until the spinach has wilted down.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Stuff The Squash
- Fill the squash with the meat mixture. If you are using cheese top with mozzarella a and cover with aluminum foil. Return the squash to oven for about 5-10 min to melt the cheese.
- If you are not using cheese you can serve it right away.
Notes
Nutrition
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