Are you ready to impress your friends and family? This dish not only looks beautiful served, but it will have your tastebuds singing songs of downright deliciousness! I love this time of year, because there are so many different squashes to choose from – they are so inexpensive (even organically!), you can pick your favorite and start stuffing! Squash is incredibly healthy too – it’s one of those more hearty vegetables that can replace grains in a meal and really fills you up! Best of all – there’s little clean up, you don’t even have to use a plate if you don’t want to – the bowl is natural and biodegradable 🙂Â
- 2 small delicata or acorn squash
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground turkey or chicken (vegetarian: use 3 cups diced mushrooms)
- 1 medium apple, diced
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons dried sage
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 eggs, beaten (vegan: use 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with 6 tablespoons water)
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the squash on a cutting board and slice in half. Scoop out the seeds. Place on a baking sheet and set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and turkey and cook until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. Add the diced apple, fennel and sage and cook 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Take off the heat and stir in the eggs. Place the mixture in each of the squash halves and brush the top with the remaining oil. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until the squash is fork tender.
- To serve, place one of the stuffed squash halves on your plate and enjoy!
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This recipe is straight out of this month’s November meal plan. You’ll find recipes like this in my membership meal planning program. Imagine taking the work out of thinking about what to eat every day? This is what I do for you for breakfast, lunch and dinner! You can download recipes, tips and tricks on how to survive in this over-processed world immediately when you join the Food Babe Eating Guide program.
If you know someone who loves squash, please share this with them! Who knows, maybe they’ll surprise you and invite you over for dinner. I love dinner parties, don’t you?
Xo,
VaniÂ
Yum! I have an acorn squash that’s been sitting on my counter for a couple weeks and it needs to be cooked! I always do a black bean filling, which is good, but I’m tired of it. The apple and fennel would give this a sausage-y taste. Awesome fall recipe idea!
Thanks Katie!
And it’s not just a song coming on ~ it’s the Hallelujah Chorus! I’m glad you have some meat in here, I need a little extra protein as a busy, running around gym teacher. I mean, I burn a lot of calories playing badminton! No lie. My neighbor made some stuffed squashed, which were good, but used some sketchy spices. I like this recipe much better.
Thanks Tom! Haha, I haven’t played badminton in forever!
You don’t need the meat no matter how busy you are! Add hulled hempseed or – guess? Pumpkin seeds – For extra protein! Cheers!
Or quinoa? Worth a try!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful fall recipe! I can’t wait to try this for my Dad especially who seems to like my healthy recipes but considers them more as side dishes if there’s no meat! This is a really healthy dish that I know he’s never had before and will appreciate my effort to compromise- with organic meat of course! 😉
“Organic meat” hmm. Visit the farm,, watch their processes. If you still want to eat it I support you! You won’t though.
This looks delicious!! Just want to make sure – leave the skins on the apples, right? Do you use a sweet apple or a tart apple?
Thanks so much for this recipe, and thanks for all you do for all of us!!
Yes, leave the skins on – unless you hate the skin 🙂 Any apple will do!
I can’t wait to try this! I have family visiting this weekend 🙂
Do you have any recommendations on what variety of apple to use?
Sorry, just saw your response above. I’ll have fun trying out different apples every time I make this l!
The recipe calls for flax seeds instead of eggs. Assume it is whole seeds and not powder
Ground flax seeds. Thanks!
Thanks for providing a vegan option! Will try this after my next trip to the farmers market!
You got it! 🙂
Wow, I just made stuffed acorn squash. I used red quinoa with a punch of veggies. I will have to try your version. Love,love ,love squahes.
Hi,I have been making a similar treat for years only I use spaghetti squash and coconut oil.Do like the apple idea.Lets make the world healthier a bite at a time,thanks for all you do.
That looks yummy. I think I would try not cooking the filling ahead – instead allow it to cook in the squash.
You left out my favorite part of Delicata squash. Take those seeds, put in a pie pan with a bit of oil, and bake in the oven along with the squash. They’ll be done in the same time. Yummy, toasty seeds.
If I’d rather use baked whole chicken, which I make twice a month or so, or baked turkey, which we’ll have for Thanksgiving, than ground turkey or chicken (I haven’t bought either in more than a year – I almost always buy whole turkey, whole chicken, chicken drumsticks, chicken fillets, etc.) could I put some of the baked turkey or chicken in instead?
Thanks for the recipe. My favorite squash recipe is very simple, as I just started eating squash this year: peel a butternut squash, take out the seeds, boil the squash until it’s soft enough to poke a fork through, and eat it with grass fed butter. Delicious!
I am not a mushroom eater. If I make the vegetarian version, as I am making it for a vegan friend, what is the best type of mushroom to use?
Thanks!
Soooo good! I used upton naturals Italian crumbles (vegan) instead of mushrooms. Delicious!!!! Thanks for the idea for some free acorn squash I was given and had no idea what to do with!
Oh and I roasted the seeds. Tastes like popcorn kids loved them!
I clean off and put the seeds in my toaster oven until brown and share them with my birds. They are nutritious and yummy.
Is there any reason that I shouldn’t try this recipe with the sweet dumpling squash that I just received in my CSA?
This looks absolutely EPIC. I’m making mine with turkey AND mushrooms!
I have some fresh sage that I would like to use. How much would you recommend for this recipe if I use fresh in place of dried sage? Can’t wait to try this!
I recently just did that VEGAN style, but… The addition of turkey and/or chicken… Or grass-fed beef is definitely DELICIOUS and will definitely be happening when I do this again! 😀
Hi Vani,
I’m a 24 year old carnivorous guy and I’ve just started by vegan diet. I will read your other vegan recipes to add into my collection.
Have a good day!
Matt
We followed the mushroom/flax in acorn squashes version of the recipe but cooked the halved squashes empty for 20 minutes prior to stuffing and baking. (It may be our oven but winter squashes never cook through in the recommended time.) The stuffed squashes looked elegant, smelled wonderful and tasted great. We served a large spoonful of fermented cranberry relish alongside and mixed it in every few bites. We did this for our Christmas dinner and it is likely to become a new tradition. Thank you for the inspiration!