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Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash – all fall flavors in one dish

November 5, 2022 by Edyta 48 Comments

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Edyta
Author at Eating European
Recipe developer, photographer and the writer behind the Eating European food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes
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Latest posts by Edyta (see all)
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  • Authentic Polish Pierogi with Potatoes and Cheese (Pierogi Ruskie) - December 8, 2022
  • Mushroom Pierogi “Uszka” for Borscht - December 3, 2022
 

Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash – it’s a Fall on a plate; Turkey with Apples, Cranberries and dried Thyme stuffed in a sweet Acorn Squash makes for an irresistible combination of fall flavors.

Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash with apples, cranberries and thyme on blue plate

Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash – screams Fall on a plate

Who doesn’t love all the fall flavors? This the season: pumpkins, squashes, apple cider, turkey, etc. Even though I am trying to share my heritage on this blog, I cannot simply disregard this wonderful season and not share something that I developed and it’s out of this world – my Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash.

A little while ago we drove to the east of Long Island to spend half a day on the farms, get a pumpkin, apples, and whatever else we could have found. Our aunt, who used to live around there and knows me and my unconditional love for fresh, good quality food, showed me where I can find the best quality produce.

The first stop was a huge farm stand. You could get there anything you wanted. I bought there everything. I mean everything: white cabbage, red cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, potatoes, tomatoes, brussels sprouts, different kinds of squashes…. etc. I cannot even remember what else was in my basket. But one of the squashes was the Acorn Squash.

Whole Acorn Squash

Cooking with Acorn Squash

I’m very comfortable with Butternut Squash. I absolutely love it and cook it often. You can check one of my favorite butternut squash recipes: Truffled Butternut Squash and Mushroom Soup. or Roasted Butternut Squash Feta Pierogi.  Acorn Squash is different, though, and requires different cooking methods.

Except for summer squashes, like zucchinis, winter squashes are not very popular in Poland. Maybe they are right now, but for sure I did not know them when I was growing up. And because I do love trying new things and pushing my comfortable buttons, I decided to tackle this amazing vegetable (or should I say fruit, as it technically is a fruit because of its seeds). I knew I could roast it and I knew I could stuff it. That’s how my Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash was born.

One night I told my husband that I wanted to make this squash, stuffed with turkey. It didn’t resonate well with him. He told me that, “again, I am turning him into vegan”. The fact that it was filled with meat didn’t matter. What was important is that I was serving the WHOLE veggie for him and this was supposed to be a star of the night.

Even though he likes to complain about vegetables, I usually do what I have planned to do. So, I served it. He took the first bite. And there was a silence. And then he looked at me and said: “do never do that to me again…and that’s all I’m gonna say”. He was simply speechless. That’s how amazing my Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash was.

Cut up acorn squash

How to Make Baked Stuffed Acorn Squash with Ground Turkey

Ever since this dinner, my husband kept telling me: “you need to put it on the blog”, “you need to put it on the blog”. And this weekend, he said it again, “please make this acorn squash dish and post it”. It’s AMAZING and the season is here.

So, here we come. It was our dinner last night and it was pretty spectacular.

  • It takes some time, just because the squash needs to roast, but it is very simple. Once you cut the squash and remove the seeds, it needs to be brushed with olive oil, seasoned, and baked for an hour.

Roasted cut up acorn squash on a baking sheet

  • In the meantime, you need to make the stuffing.
    • First, brown the turkey meat;
    • Then took it out and in the same pan saute some onions with dried thyme and celery; the fragrance will be amazing already;
    • Add apples, dried cranberries, and put the meat back to the pan;
    • Cook it for a while;
    • Add a little chicken stock to loosen it up;
    • Add  breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese and you’re done;
    • Season with salt and pepper and wait for your squash to be done roasting.
  • Fill the squash with the turkey staffing and place it back in the oven for another 15 minutes and your incredible Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash is ready to be consumed. Enjoy 🙂

Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash on a blue plate

How to Alter This Recipe for Stuffed Acorn Squash

If you need to alter this recipe here are a couple of options:

  • If you want to make this recipe Paleo-friendly, skip the breadcrumbs and cheese;
  • If you want to make this recipe vegetarian, replace turkey with quinoa or with lentils as I did in this recipe for Lentils Stuffed Acorn Squash.
  • If you want to make this recipe vegan, replace turkey with quinoa or lentils and omit the cheese.

Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash with apples, cranberries and thymeThis post was originally published on November 8, 2015, but because it is so popular and the season for squash is back I decided to update it and bring it back to life.

Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash

Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash

Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash - it's a Fall on a plate; Turkey with Apples, Cranberries and dried Thyme stuffed in a sweet Acorn Squash makes for an irresistible combination of fall flavors.
4.94 from 15 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 2
Calories: 474kcal
Author: Edyta

Ingredients

  • 1 Acorn Squash large or 2 small ones , cut in the half
  • 1 lbs ground turkey
  • 1/2 Yellow onions large or one small one, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk chopped
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 apple peeled and chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon bread crumbs plain
  • 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese grated
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1/4 teaspoon of garlic salt
  • 3 tablespoon of olive oil
  • Salt and pepper for taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 F
  • Cut the bottom and the top of the squash to have flat surfaces on both sides
  • Cut the squash in the middle (vertically)
  • Using a spoon scoop out all the seeds
  • Brush both halves of the squash with olive oil, season with garlic salt, and pepper
  • Place the squash in the oven and roast for 50 min to 1 hour
  • In the meantime heat up another tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet
  • Add turkey, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the meat is cooked through
  • Remove the meat from the pan
  • Add some more olive oil
  • Add onions and dried thyme and cook until the onion is translucent (5 minutes)
  • Add celery, apple, and cranberries and cook for another 3-4 minutes
  • Return the meat to the pan
  • Add chicken stock, salt, and pepper and cook for another 3 minutes
  • Add breadcrumbs and cheese
  • Stir everything well and check for seasoning
  • Fill out the squash with the meat stuffing
  • Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Video

Notes

  • I used one big Acorn Squash and I ended up with a little bit of meat stuffing left out. If you have smaller squash you may want o use 2 small ones instead of one big squash.
  • If you need to alter this recipe here are a couple of options:
    • If you want to make this recipe Paleo-friendly, skip the breadcrumbs and cheese;
    • If you want to make this recipe vegetarian, replace turkey with quinoa or lentils;
    • If you want to make this recipe vegan, replace turkey with quinoa or lentils and omit the cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 474kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 59g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 297mg | Potassium: 1557mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 995IU | Vitamin C: 28.5mg | Calcium: 190mg | Iron: 3.8mg
Tried this recipe?Show me @eatingeuropean or tag #eatingeuropean!

PIN IT FOR LATER

Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash with Apples and Cranberries on a blue plate

If you like this recipe you may also enjoy these fall favorites:

Slow Cooker Turkey BreastSlow cooker turkey breast

 

Truffled Butternut Squash and Mushroom SoupTruffled Butternut Squash and Mushroom Soup

 

Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Candid Pecans, Craisins and ChivesMaple Mashed Sweet Potato with Candid Pecans, Crasins and Chives

 

Leftover Turkey SoupLeftovers turkey soup

 

Leftover Turkey Spanish RiceLeftover Turkey Spanish Rice

 

Maple Mustard Glazed TurkeyMaple Mustard Glazed Turkey

 

Sourdough Mushrooms Leeks and Bacon StuffingSourdough Mushrooms Leaks and Bacon Stuffing

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Filed Under: Dinner, Healthy, Meat and chicken, Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas, Thanksgiving/Holidays Tagged With: acorn squash, apples, cranberries, fall, Turkey

Previous Post: « Kolokithokeftedes (Greek Zucchini Fritters with Feta)
Next Post: Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Karly

    November 9, 2015 at 10:34 am

    This is just gorgeous! Love all of the flavors in here!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      November 17, 2015 at 8:37 am

      Thanks so much Karly!

      Reply
  2. Devyn Conry

    December 7, 2015 at 11:09 am

    I love when I stumble on recipes where I already have most of the ingredients – will be trying this week. Thanks!

    Reply
  3. Briana

    October 6, 2016 at 1:35 pm

    Wish I had followed your recipe here instead of another one I found…
    Anyway, Would it be okay to omit breadcrumbs next time I make this?
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Edyta

      October 6, 2016 at 7:06 pm

      Sure, it may not “stick” as good as with the breadcrumbs but the taste will be there 🙂

      Reply
  4. jennifer

    October 8, 2016 at 8:58 pm

    do you scoop out any of the squash to mix with the meat before baking again?

    Reply
    • Edyta

      October 9, 2016 at 10:27 am

      I don’t. The flush will be very soft and when you put it on the fork, it will take some of the meet mixture with the flush. It’s super delicious!

      Reply
  5. Renee

    November 12, 2016 at 8:12 pm

    Do you think fresh cranberries instead of dried would be good?

    Reply
    • Edyta

      November 13, 2016 at 5:50 pm

      I’m not sure fresh will do the same work as the dried ones are sweeter. You can try but I cannot guarantee that the taste will be the same.

      Reply
  6. Maggie

    December 18, 2016 at 7:54 pm

    5 stars
    I made this tonight, super yummy!! The dried cranberries make this dish! I made with a leftover rotisserie chicken. Since I obviously didn`t have to cook turkey I sauteed the onion first but added the apple right away. I had to omit the thyme as I didn`t have it on hand. I used 1 squash which was pretty regular-sized and I wished it had more flesh to it. Half of a squash is a great portion size. The bread crumbs don`t seem to be necessary but I liked them as they added nice texture. I could see adding almond slivers as well. Thanks for a great recipe, I will make this again!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      December 18, 2016 at 9:17 pm

      Great, I’m happy to hear this Maggie.

      Reply
  7. Brittany

    January 10, 2017 at 11:30 am

    4 stars
    When I told my husband this was for dinner, he was less than enthusiastic. He’s not a fan of acorn squash. I made it anyways because I love squash and the pictures looked amazing.

    He loved it. He loved it so much, he said, “Acorn squash was on sale…I’m thinking about going out tonight to get some more so you can make this again.”

    I’m happy to report that this tastes just as good with turkey breakfast sausage. We also had a little leftover stuffing in the skillet which my husband ate with a spoon.

    Reply
    • Edyta

      January 13, 2017 at 11:37 am

      Hi Brittany, thanks so much for letting me know:) That’s super funny because when I told my husband for the first time what I am going to make he thought I’m changing him into vegetarian. Once he tried this dish, he went silent and said that it needs to go on the blog 🙂

      Reply
      • Brittany

        January 21, 2017 at 5:54 pm

        I filled out 5 stars, but it only posted 4 of them 🙁

        Reply
  8. Brooke

    February 26, 2017 at 5:17 pm

    Any idea of the calories? I have it on my list for tomorrow to make. Thank you. It looks yummy.

    Reply
    • Edyta

      March 8, 2017 at 11:10 am

      Not sure about calories. I am not a nutritionist and asa food bigger I don’t think privileged to provide this kind of information. I’m sure there is plenty of website that can help you out with counting the calories.

      Reply
  9. Lauren

    September 15, 2017 at 2:08 pm

    5 stars
    Your pictures are beautiful, and this looks so yummy!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      September 15, 2017 at 2:41 pm

      Thanks Lauren

      Reply
  10. Danielle

    September 15, 2017 at 2:17 pm

    5 stars
    Oh wow, this just screams autumn! I am so excited for squash season and this looks like a great way to use them.

    Reply
    • Edyta

      September 15, 2017 at 2:41 pm

      Thank you Danielle!

      Reply
  11. Natalie

    September 15, 2017 at 4:03 pm

    Oh my… this looks delicious. I really can’t wait to try this. I’m on a pumpkin spree 😀

    Reply
    • Edyta

      September 15, 2017 at 5:30 pm

      Thanks Natalie. Let me know how you liked it.

      Reply
  12. Jacqueline

    September 15, 2017 at 5:15 pm

    5 stars
    It’s freezing here in Scotland, so Autumn is definitely on it’s way. The perfect time to indulge in a few squash recipes.

    Reply
    • Edyta

      September 15, 2017 at 5:31 pm

      Oh my… We are not freezing yet here in NY 🙂 I’m pretty sure it will come quick and I will be making this dish all the time.

      Reply
  13. Maggie

    September 15, 2017 at 5:16 pm

    5 stars
    How yummy! I know my husband will love this recipe. Pinning for later.

    Reply
    • Edyta

      September 15, 2017 at 5:32 pm

      Great, thanks Maggie.

      Reply
  14. Christina

    September 21, 2017 at 2:33 pm

    GAH! I’m Homer Simpson drooling all over my keyboard right now. This recipe looks and sounds amazing! Yay for comfort fall foods!!! Great Job 🙂

    Reply
    • Edyta

      September 21, 2017 at 8:02 pm

      Thanks Christina!

      Reply
  15. Amanda

    October 16, 2017 at 7:02 pm

    Could you use breakfast sausage instead of turkey?

    Reply
    • Edyta

      October 17, 2017 at 5:06 pm

      Breakfast sausage is cooked so it will have a different flavor, but you can try. I think that raw sausage would work great. You will just have to remove it from the casings and follow the rest of the recipe. Be careful with the seasoning though as the sausage is already seasoned.

      Reply
  16. Renidea

    November 8, 2018 at 12:28 pm

    This looks delicious and I intend to try it. However, if you used dried thyme, what is the bright green herb leaves in it and on the plate in the photos?

    Reply
    • Edyta

      November 8, 2018 at 12:35 pm

      Hi Renidea, that’s just a garnish :). I used some finely chopped parsley.

      Reply
  17. kelly

    November 9, 2018 at 1:39 am

    5 stars
    Super good…even my 16 year old son loved it! Thank you for sharing, Edyta

    Reply
    • Edyta

      November 9, 2018 at 9:18 am

      Awesome, Thanks Kelly!

      Reply
  18. Tavonya Green

    November 18, 2018 at 1:21 pm

    5 stars
    This is one of our favorite recipes. My husband drools everytime I make it. I was wondering if there was a way to convert it to a casserole to bring to a potluck?

    Reply
    • Edyta

      November 19, 2018 at 11:20 pm

      Hi Tavonya, thanks so much. I’m really happy that you guys like this recipe. What I would do to convert it to casserole is either scoop out the flash from the squash (I would bake 2 or 3 squashes and either double or triple the recipe) and top it with turkey mixture or peel the squash, cut it in cubes and roast and then placed at the bottom of the casserole dish and top it with turkey mixture. I hope it will work 🙂

      Reply
  19. EVA

    October 4, 2019 at 6:09 pm

    Are the calories listed for 1 while squash or 1/2 a squash?

    Reply
    • Edyta

      October 7, 2019 at 10:12 am

      The recipe calls for 2 portions made from one squash which means that the calories are for 1 portion (1/2 squash).

      Reply
  20. JR Shrader

    October 29, 2019 at 9:00 pm

    5 stars
    as someone who loves squash but has a spouse who doesn’t, this one please us both. This is a great recipe. I’m on a second go at this recipe this evening. Who knew you could get all the flavors of Thanksgiving in one dish (minus the gravy of course). A healthy and delicious feast of fall goodness!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      November 1, 2019 at 3:16 pm

      Thank you. I’m glad you liked it 🙂

      Reply
  21. Reagan

    December 20, 2019 at 3:31 pm

    5 stars
    This dish was so so delicious!
    My 15 month old loved it, my husband and sister who said they don’t like acorn squash loved it. I loved it! Will be making again!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      December 22, 2019 at 4:24 pm

      I had the same story with my husband and now he asks all the time when am I making it again :)/ I’m happy your family loved them.

      Reply
  22. Carol

    October 10, 2020 at 10:40 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe! I have made this several times. I also add a little grease or parchment paper to the baking sheet to help get the squash off cleanly.

    Reply
  23. Brandon

    October 27, 2020 at 10:34 pm

    5 stars
    Really excellent flavors! Just as you stated, I had used all the other squash variants but never bothered with acorn squash, except maybe in soup. The dried cranberries and apple really tied everything together and using 2 small to medium squashes was perfect for my wife toddler and I.

    Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  24. Natalie

    November 29, 2020 at 8:22 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing! Best stuffed squash I’ve ever had. All the amazing fall flavors in one dish.

    Reply
  25. Pat Walecki

    May 6, 2021 at 7:43 pm

    I found this recipe several months ago and have made it many times. It is wonderful. I use 2 smaller acrons so I get 2 meals for 2 people out of the recipe. I am a Weight Watcher person so finding a low point recipe that is so filling and has a wonderful taste is an absolute plus. Thank you. I am passing it on to one of my WW buddies tomorrow.

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Edyta. I’m a recipe developer, photographer, and writer behind the Eating European food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes. I consider myself a home chef with a cultivated passion for amazing food.
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