And Then I Stuffed Some Squash
Written by Rachel, Posted in Thoughts
Hey! Remember me? The one who loves to cook and blog and take photos of her food?? I’ve been outta town for a bit, and took a couple days off when we returned. But now I’m back. In it for the long haul… or until Thanksgiving break, which is really not very far away… and happens to be one of my all-time favorite meals of the year!! It doesn’t beat Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon, but that’s not surprising. Nothing really could, in my opinion.
My cousin, Tim, told me about this recipe for a stuffed pumpkin that they’d loved. I thought about an acorn squash I’d been meaning to use, and all the yummy things I had in my kitchen that could make a tasty filling, and made up my own version. Um, yes, I’m glad this happened. It was goooooood! Thanks for the idea, cousin Tim!! 🙂
Squash Bowls
Last modified on 2012-10-30 00:01:48 GMT. 0 comments. Top.
- 2 acorn squash, halved (seeds removed – save them to plant in your garden!)
- 1 onion, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-3 tomatoes, diced
- 1 eggplant, diced
- 4-6 C kale, chopped
- 4 T + 1 t olive oil
- 2 T flour
- 1/2 T balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 to 3/4 C Gruyère cheese, grated
- 1/2 to 3/4 C parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 1/4 t salt (or to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- pinch nutmeg
- pinch cayenne
- 1/2 C stock
- 1-2 C milk (depending on how thick you want the sauce)
- 1 C roast beef (opt.), cooked and cubed (I used leftovers)
- 1/4 C almonds, chopped
- 2 C bread, cubed
- Brush cut sides of squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes, or until squash is tender and pierces easily with a fork.
- Sautée onion, beef (I was just re-heating the beef, if using raw, cook thoroughly) and eggplant in olive oil with a bit of salt, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and tomatoes and cook over med-low heat for about 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add nutmeg and kale (a little bit at a time, letting it wilt down then adding more), stirring often, until all kale is incorporated.
- Add 2 T oil to a hot pan. When the oil is hot, whisk in 2 T flour. Let it bubble for about 30 seconds, then very slowly, whisking as you do, add the milk and stock, a little at a time. Cook over medium heat until steam rises then turn off heat. Whisk in cheese, pepper, a little more salt (opt.), and balsamic vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Toss bread with 1/2 T olive oil, and a pinch of cayenne, salt and pepper. Bake at 350F, turning once, for 10-15 minutes, or until bread is toasty.
- Mix veggies with bechamel sauce (cheese sauce). Pour into squash. Top with bread and almonds. Serve and enjoy!!
I’d say total time on this dish is around 60 minutes, because most of the prep and cooking can be done while the squash is roasting! Could be a tad longer if the squash takes longer to roast. 🙂
Since I made this meal for just the two of us and there’s enough filling for 4 people, I froze the leftover sauce, and the next week, I re-heated it and tossed it with some pasta. It was delicious!
