Apple Filled Squash Halves
Submitted by sherijay
Roasted acorn squash halves stuffed with savory ground beef, sweet-tart apples, plump raisins, and warm cinnamon, glazed with brown sugar and butter.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
90 minREADY
120 minPicture this: tender acorn squash boats overflowing with a cinnamon-spiced ground beef mixture sweetened by chunks of fresh apple and bursts of raisin.
The squash roasts until silky, then gets scooped out and mashed right into the meat filling before everything piles back into those caramelized shells.
Brown sugar melts into a glaze on top while it all bakes together into one gorgeous autumn dinner.
Chef Tips
- Roast squash cut-side down in shallow water to steam them tender without drying out
- For richer flavor, swap half the ground beef for bulk pork sausage as suggested in the recipe notes
- Leave a quarter-inch shell when scooping out the squash pulp so the boats hold their shape
- Let the filled squash rest five minutes after baking so the glaze sets and flavors meld
Ingredients
Directions
Heat the oven to 400℉ (200℃). Cut each of the squash in half and remove the seeds and fibers. Place the squash, cut sides down, in an ungreased baking pan. Then add water to the depth of ¼ inch and bake, uncovered, until the squash is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.
While the squash is baking, cook and stir the meat in a large skillet until it is brown. Drain off the excess fat. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the 1½ teaspoons of salt as well as the cinnamon, the coarsely chopped tart apples and the raisins. When the squash is cooked, turn them so that the cut side is up and remove them to a platter. Drain off any remaining liquid in the pan and dry. Scoop out the pulp from the acorn squash, making a shell that is ¼ inch thick all the way around. Season the shells with salt to taste. Mash the pulp and mix in the meat mixture. Return to the shells, piling them full and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar on each. Drizzle with the melted butter.
Bake uncovered until the apple is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.
NOTE: You can substitute a combination of ½ lb lean ground beef and ½ lb of bulk pork sausage for the 1 lb of lean ground beef.
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