Stuffed Squash with Turkey and Apples

Mild and buttery acorn squash stuffed with sage, rosemary, wild rice, apples and ground turkey makes a filling complete meal for two.

Tips for preparing acorn squash

Acorn squash is one of the treasures of fall and winter, so take advantage of it and use it in as many ways as possible during cold weather.

It grows on a vine and has a hard, thin skin. Acorn squash is almost impossible to peel, so it makes sense to roast it in the oven. The skin is actually edible when well cooked, so eating it (or not eating it) is simply a matter of taste.

To roast an acorn squash, follow these steps:

1. Cut in half, brush the flesh with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Bake cut-side down on a baking sheet until tender and pierceable with a fork. It usually takes about 40 minutes depending on the size of your squash. The edges caramelize a bit at the end.

How to make the stuffing for stuffed pumpkin

Nothing complicated here. After roasting the squash, turn it over on the baking sheet so the hollow center is facing up.

While the rice for the filling cooks, sear the ground turkey and add the shallots, celery, and apples. Stir in the herbs and cranberries. Once the rice is cooked, stir it into the pan and it’s ready to be poured onto the squash halves.

Finally sprinkle with breadcrumbs to give it a little extra crispiness and place back in the oven to bake until quite hot and browned on top.

TOP! If the squash is uneven (tippy) on the bottom, use a large chef’s knife to snip a piece off the bottom. This prevents it from tipping over while baking.

For more information on which apple varieties are best for baking, check out our guide to apples.

What is wild rice?

Wild rice is an annual aquatic grass seed that grows in swampy areas, wetlands and naturally slow-flowing water areas where it originally grows wild. It has been hybridized to make it compatible with commercial cultivation. Its texture is tougher than other rice varieties.

Since the seeds are slow to absorb water, the best way to prepare them is to boil them in plenty of water, like pasta. For a step-by-step guide to this technique, check out our Easy Cooked Rice Recipe.

Feel free to substitute another type of rice and use what you have on hand. Any of the following flavors would taste great with this dish:

• Brown rice
• jasmine rice
• basmati rice
• wild rice mix

Ways to customize this recipe

Everyone has different tastes and the contents of their freezers. The recipe is easy to adapt.

• Make it vegetarian! This recipe is tasty enough to skip the turkey altogether.
• Don’t have ground turkey on hand? Just replace it with pork or chicken sausage.
• The only sausage you have is in links? Remove the casings and cook like a tube of ground turkey.

Tips to advance this recipe

If you want a head start, you can roast the squash two to three days in advance—perhaps while you’re cooking or having dinner one night. When cool, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until ready to eat.

You can do the same with the filling, especially if you’re making multiple meals at once for the week. Store the ingredients separately, or fill the squash and store in the fridge for up to 2-3 days ready to use.

When you’re ready to eat, assemble it, but plan to add an additional 20 minutes to the cooking time to fully heat it at 375oF.

Need more squash in your life?

• Cheese Spaghetti Squash Casserole
• Butternut Squash Enchiladas
• Stuffed delicata squash with pancetta and goat cheese
• Baked Acorn Squash with Butter and Brown Sugar
• Vegan Stuffed Pumpkin with Brown Rice and Mushrooms