I received my Imperfect Produce order late last night and included was a beautiful Acorn Squash and a couple of equally as gorgeous Russet Potatoes. I had been thinking of adding a vegetarian recipe to my Holiday collection of recipes and that is when I decided to make a Cheesy Stuffed Acorn Squash with Whipped Potatoes and Caramelized Onions. I ran the idea by my recipe blogger friend The Kitchen Wife and she suggested adding bacon. While bacon is ALWAYS a good idea, I knew I wanted to keep this veggie forward, so I decided to add some salty crunch using some Crispy Onions. In my opinion this was a GREAT choice, but if you wanted to use bacon, that would be an equally as delicious decision. If you haven’t made an acorn squash before, it is really easy and the flavor is creamy and mild. They can be eaten on their own, but are really good stuffed with all kinds of things like rice and sausage to other grains and veggies. All you have to do to make an acorn squash is slice it in half, clean out the seeds, add a little oil and seasoning and bake it for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. After that it scoops right out and makes a great side to any protein, and is delicious on its own. If you are looking for something a little more fancy, especially for the upcoming holiday, give this Cheesy Stuffed Scorn Squash with Whipped Potatoes and Caramelized Onions a try. It is especially perfect for the vegetarian in your life who may be feeling left out on this Turkey holiday. Here is what you need to get started:
Ingredients
- 1 Acorn Squash, halved, seeds scooped out.
- 2 C of Mashed Potatoes, you can make your own, buy ready-made, or use instant.
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion, Diced
- 2 T of Brown Sugar
- 2 t of Salt
- 2 t of Chili Powder
- 2 t of Cracked Black Pepper
- 1 Stick of Butter
- 1/3 C of Milk
- 2 Eggs, Whisked
- 1/2 C Crispy French Fried Onions
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper to Taste
- 1 C of Mozzarella Cheese
I recommend making your own mashed potatoes for this dish, but if you want to save time, ready-made or instant will be just fine. I am not going to list out how I make my mashed, it is a simple recipe using milk, butter, salt and pepper. The rest of the steps are easy for this dish.
Steps
- Drizzle your squash halves with olive oil, season with salt, pepper and chili powder. Place on a cookie sheet face up and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. At the 15 minute mark, flip them over and bake for about 30 more minutes or until they are soft.
- While the squash bakes, add half the stick of butter to a skillet and the onion and sauté on low flame until the onions turn a rich brown color. Add the brown sugar and allow them to keep cooking until the squash is done.
- Remove the squash from the oven, let cool for a few minutes, then carefully using a tablespoon, scoop out the insides into a bowl, preserving the skins if possible. If you mess up the skins, it is okay, you can place the mixture in a casserole to bake as well. the skin just makes a pretty presentation.
- In the bowl with the squash, add the onions, the prepared mashed potatoes, the milk, the eggs, butter and the cheese. Stir well until it is combined.
- Spoon the squash potato mixture back into the squash skins that are on the cookie sheet you used to bake them. Again, if you messed up the skins you can put the mixture into a casserole dish and bake as well.
- Sprinkle a little more salt, pepper and chili powder on the top of the squash, place back in the oven and bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.
- When the squash are crispy brown on the top, remove from oven, sprinkle with the crispy french fried onion and serve!
See the pictures below for a step by step:
This recipe turned out even better than I expected it to. The squash and potato flavors perfectly complemented one another. The hint of the chili spice really accented the sweetness of the squash well. I think that vegetarians and meat lovers will enjoy this dish equally. I hope you love it as much as we did!
If you like this holiday recipe, check out my other recipes by CLICKING HERE
