Southwest Stuffed Acorn Squash
Description
Everyone loves a great stuffed pepper, but I’d like to thank Tasty on Instagram for the reminder that stuffed squash is equally easy (and..well, super tasty!). This recipe is a loose outline…stuffed ‘anythings’ are a great way to use up what’s in your fridge and disguise leftovers – just add cheese and you’ve got dinner!
Ingredients
2 similar-sized acorn squash, ends trimmed (so they sit level), cut in half and scooped out – these are your 4 ‘bowls’
olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lb. ground beef (pork, turkey, chicken or sausage meat)
1 small onion AND 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
~1/2 c. uncooked rice – (cooked in ~2 cups of broth or tomato juice) – if you’d like to not use meat then I’d suggest doubling the rice
1 can (398 mL/14 oz.) black beans (or pinto, kidney, even chickpeas – drained)
1 can (341 mL/12 oz.) kernel corn, drained
2 bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. EACH cumin, paprika, onion powder AND oregano
~1/4 t. cayenne – or to taste
your favorite strong cheese, grated, to top everything off
avocado, sour cream and hot sauce for serving
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400, prep your squash and set them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Rub them all over with a bit of oil and then season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 45 minutes until the squash is tender when poked with a fork.
As the squash is baking, heat up a titch of oil in a large skillet and get the meat cooking. Cook and stir regularly to break it up and part way thru cooking it, toss in the onion and garlic and continue to cook until the meat is no longer pink and the onions have softened.
Add in the cooked rice, the drained beans and corn, the chopped peppers, and sprinkle in all of the spices. Cook and stir for a few minutes until all is good and hot – I actually like my peppers a bit crunchy, but feel free to cook the mix longer if you’d like.
When the squash are tender, take them out of the oven and fill generously with your southwest mix and then load on the cheese. Any leftover filling is very tasty on it’s own or makes for a wicked breakfast with eggs. Bake or broil your bowls of goodness until the cheese is bubbling, garnish as you wish and then dinner is served – enjoy!
