Meatless Monday: Stuffed Acorn Squash

One cool fall evening after work, on precisely the day I needed it, I came home to the comforting smell of a familiar fall vegetable. It was freezing outside, and my boyfriend had decided to make stuffed squash, but hadn’t yet decided what to stuff it with.

After changing into my post-office outfit of a big cozy sweater and fluffy slippers, I wandered into the kitchen to help him decide what to add to the dish. When I realized we had a slightly stale loaf of bread, I knew what we had to do. What better to stuff squash with than stuffing?

This autumn-inspired dish reminds me that there is nothing quite like a hot, comforting meal on a cool fall evening.

1 large acorn squash, cut lengthwise
1 cup slighting stale bread, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 small yellow onion
1 clove garlic
½ cup mushrooms
2 stalks of celery
½ red pepper
Sage
Thyme
Rosemary
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut acorn squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out all the seeds. Coat insides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place face down on baking sheet a bake for 45 minutes or until the flesh is soft.

While squash is cooking, prepare the filling.

In a saucepan, heat olive oil and cook onions until translucent. Add garlic mushrooms, celery and red pepper and continute to cook.

Roughly chop your bread and toast on baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes or until slightly crunchy.

Add to the vegetable mixture and add spices and seasonings to taste. Evenly pour vegetable stock over top of mixture and stir to combine.

When squash is cooked, fill with mixture (it’s okay if some spills over).

Put back in oven and continue to cook until liquid has absorbed and the stuffing is slightly crispy (about 20 minutes).

-Katharine Watts, Associate Web Editor