Acorn Squash Stuffing Bowls

Is it called stuffing or dressing? The answer is that it depends on how it's cooked. It is stuffing if it's cooked inside the bird but dressing if it's cooked on the side. So now you just have to decide which way you want to make it.

When I was growing up, my mother did it both ways. She knew the portion cooked inside the bird would have an amazing flavor but also not be anywhere near a large enough quantity for her stuffing obsessed family. So she also made an extra baking dish of dressing.

When I'm cooking, it is only as a dressing on the side and I stuff the bird with aromatics such as onion, garlic, lemon and herbs. My "house" dressing recipe is simple with only sautéed onions, butter, stock and fresh herbs stirred into crusty bread cubes. But while I normally prefer to leave out any other ingredients, I sometimes make an exception for cooked squash because it's a favorite autumn flavor.

This twist on my recipe takes advantage of the beautiful shape of acorn squash as well as its delicious flavor. I split them in half and roasted them until tender, then I scooped out most of the flesh and added it to my buttery herb stuffing. The mixture gets piled back into the squash shells to be used as a mostly edible serving dish for these individual portions of dressing.

And is this enough dressing/stuffing for my stuffing obsessed family? Hmm. I might have also made an additional baking dish of it, just like my mom used to do. Enjoy!

Yield: 8 Servings

Author: Anita Schecter

Acorn Squash Stuffing Bowls

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 H & 4 M

Recipe for buttery fresh herb bread stuffing with roasted acorn squash, served in individual squash bowls.

Ingredients

• 4 Acorn or golden acorn squash
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 Loaf sourdough or other crusty bread
• 1 Onion, peeled and diced
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice each squash in half length wise, remove the seeds and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt and roast for 40 to 45 minutes or until tender.
2. Note that if the raw squash is too difficult to cut open, roast them whole for 15 minutes, remove and let cool enough to be able to handle and then slice.
3. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the diced onion to a large skillet or cast iron pan. Cook on medium low heat until the onions are soft and begin to color. Stir in the chopped rosemary, sage, thyme and parsley and continue cooking until the herbs soften.
4. While the onion is cooking, cut the bread loaf into small cubes and toast. Add the butter and stock to a saucepan and heat.
5. Add the toasted cubes to a large bowl and stir in the cooked onion and herb mixture. Stir in the buttery stock mixture, a couple of ladles full at a time, until the bread has soaked in the stock but is not too mushy. Scoop out the flesh from the cooked squash and stir into the bread mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste and fill each squash bowl with the mixture.
6. If making a day ahead, cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate. Reheat in a 350 degree oven, covered, until warmed through.