Stuffed Acorn Squash

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I spoon quinoa apple salad with cheddar, pecans, dried cranberries and lemon vinaigrette into this easy stuffed acorn squash.

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Total Time55

Course: Side Dishes

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings:

Author: Paige Adams

Ingredients

For squash

3 small to medium acorn squash, halved lengthwise and seeds scooped out
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For quinoa

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
2 apples (Honeycrisp or Pink Lady), diced
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
1/3 cup chopped pecans
4 ounces cheddar, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, plus more for serving

For vinaigrette

1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon olive oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Rub the acorn squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Place the squash cut-side down on the prepared pan. Roast for 30-35 minutes until you can easily pierce it with a knife, and the squash flesh is fork-tender.
While the squash roasts, combine the quinoa and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat, simmering on low for 11-12 minutes until the water has been absorbed. Remove the quinoa from the heat. Let stand covered for 5 minutes. Then fluff it with a fork and transfer it to a large bowl, giving it 10 minutes to cool.
Stir the apples, red onions, pecans, cheddar, dried cranberries and parsley into the quinoa.
For the vinaigrette, whisk the garlic, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, lemon juice and 1/4 cup olive oil in a small bowl.
Drizzle the vinaigrette into the quinoa, tossing to combine.
Spoon the quinoa into the squash halves and garnish with additional parsley as desired.

Notes

You can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. Before I eat them, I let them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, so they aren’t as cold. You can give leftovers a quick zap in the microwave, but I think they're better warm than hot.

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