Vegetarian Stuffed Acorn Squash

The ingredients for this delicious meatless meal are all
prepped and ready to go.

Serves 4 to 8

Recipe from Food.com

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This is a long list of ingredients, BUT the prep goes pretty fast if you have a sturdy chef knife and this tastes sensational!  This would make a great side dish for 8 people for the holidays or a tasty meatless dish for four.  When I made this, I had extra stuffing, which I used with another meal. 

2 acorn squashes

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

½ cup sliced mushrooms

1/8 cup dry sherry or white wine (Do not use cooking sherry.)

2 cups whole-wheat Panko bread

½ cup raisins (I used golden raisins because that’s what I had on hand.)

¼ cup sun-dried tomato, chopped

¼ cup unsalted sunflower seeds

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ teaspoon poultry seasoning or sage

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

½ cup to 1 cup vegetable broth (or more depending upon your preference)

½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded (Optional)

Cut squashes in half and remove seeds.  With a sharp knife, make a small slice on the skin side of each half so that the squash will stand on the baking sheet without tipping over.  Drizzle 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over the flesh side of the squashes. Sprinkle the squashes with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.  Flip them over and bake, cut side down, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, sauté the onions, celery, and carrot in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil until soft and translucent. Add garlic and mushrooms, and continue cooking until they are soft and have released their juices. Add sherry (or white wine) to "deglaze" the pan, and then simmer briefly.

Add Panko breadcrumbs, raisins, sunflower seeds, sun-dried tomatoes, and walnuts, stirring to combine. Add the poultry seasoning and Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Add ½ cup of vegetable broth to the mix and then add up to another ½ cup more until the mixture is softened and moist. (You can add more broth if it seems dry.  I usually do because I like my stuffing moist.)  Remove from heat.  Once cooled slightly, stir in shredded cheese, if using.

Remove the baked squash from the oven.  Flip them over and then add the stuffing mixture to interior of squash, mounding as needed, and bake covered (with foil) another 20-30 minutes. For a crunchier top, remove cover for the last 10 minutes.