Nothing says Fall quite like stuffing an Acorn Squash with bacon, ground turkey (or pork), kale, maybe some cheese and baking it. At least in my opinion!! That weather just dropped out here in the Chicago 'burbs and I am so thankful I have lots of leftover squash to eat while my hubby is out of town and the kids and I are all sick. It's healthy comfort food. And I need all that I can get right now.
This was such a fun recipe with the addition of the bacon and sliced almonds. Sounds a bit out there, but the ground turkey is a leaner meat, so the addition of the bacon and the crispiness of the almonds gave it a really nice crunch. The rich flavor and creamy texture of the Acorn Squash really compliments the salty and crunchy stuffing that all bakes super well together! Plus, this could totally work as a Thanksgiving side if you're an ambitious host (or looking for a fun side to bring to someone else's table).
My husband, Dan, loves pork-stuffed squash. Usually we grow a lot in the garden so we will eat "something-stuffed" squash pretty frequently. This year we didn't though, we focused most of our attention on Pumpkins and Gourds. We tried out a new area of the yard where we could dump all the porch Pumpkins and see if they would grow. Turns out they did, which was awesome, but the Butternut Squash, Spaghetti Squash and Acorn Squash I threw back there didn't take. Turns out the Pumpkins were a bit more invasive than we bargained for. All this means is we need a second garden. Dan is already on it for the springtime :). In addition to my chickens. Finally talked him into chickens. Yay!
But back to these little yummies....I used Acorn Squash. Sometimes they can be a little annoying if the center is pretty shallow, but I lucked out with the batch I had and it allowed each squash to be adequately stuffed with the mixture.
How to Make Turkey, Bacon and Kale Stuffed Acorn Squash:
The Squash:
Acorn Squash is not necessary. Butternut Squash is a great option (will just require a longer cooking time) and Kabocha Squash is also amazing. It tastes like a mix between a Butternut and an Acorn Squash. I like it because it's bigger and usually has a better spot for stuffing. But good old Caputo's got me when Emmie and I went grocery shopping one Sunday morning. We walked outta there with a kid cart full of them and I'm really happy we did!
The Stuffing:
Again, super versatile. I used ground turkey with a half pound of crisped, chopped bacon mixed into it, but an all pork stuffing would be fine. Italian Sausage would be great as well, but omit the additional Fennel otherwise it may be too overpowering.
The Veggies:
I used Kale only because our garden gave us an abundance this year, but Spinach would be great as well! Dried cranberries or cherries could also work in this recipe if you feel so inclined, although I wanted to go with a savory stuffing since the Acorn Squash is naturally quite sweet.
First Things First:
Get yourself a really cute helper.
And then, preheat the oven to 400°. The squash will need a head start in the oven. I cooked mine for about 35 minutes to ensure it's soft but the skin won't burn once I add the stuffing and finish the cooking process.
Using a sharp knife, slice off the top end first. Then putting the flat part down on your cutting board, slice through the middle long-ways. Scoop out the seeds and discard.
Place onto your cooking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pop those in the oven.
Meanwhile, get the bacon frying. While that cooks up, get the onions chopped and put the turkey and onions into a frying pan to begin browning.
Once the onions and turkey are down cooking, add the Kale. I cleaned mine (wash and de-stem) and chopped it into small pieces with kitchen shears so the pieces weren't too overpowering. Once the Kale is wilted, I pulled the aside and let it cool. Let the bacon cool and chop into small, bite-sized pieces.
Into a large bowl, mix the meats, parmesan cheese, nuts of choice (I loved the salted almond slices but Walnuts or Pecans would work great too!) and give it a good mix. Whisk 2 eggs in a separate bowl and add to the meat mixture.
By this time, the squash should be almost nearly cooked. Pull it out and start stuffing it! I go big on this and shove as much as possible into each squash.
Add the stuffed squash back into the oven for another 15 minutes and you are ready to enjoy!
Comments