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Taco-Stuffed Acorn Squash

Prep 15 min
Total 40 min
Servings 6

Wondering what to do with those cheap winter squashes at the grocery store? We got you. All the taco flavors, plus quinoa, packed into a steamed squash taste like the best dinner ever. ...MORE+ LESS-

Cheeky Kitchen

August 17, 2016

Ingredients

acorn squash

1 1/2

cups cooked quinoa or brown rice

can (14.5 ounces) Muir Glen™ fire roasted diced tomatoes

can (11 ounces) corn, drained

can (15 ounces) black beans, drained

cup shredded sharp cheddar

bunch green onions, thinly sliced

tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Steps

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1

Preheat oven to 400°F.
2

Pierce acorn squash with a fork 2-3 times. Microwave each squash separately for 6 minutes, or just until the flesh becomes tender enough to yield when pressed. Slice in half, remove seeds with a spoon and place cut-side up (skin down) on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
3

In a large bowl, stir together quinoa, tomatoes, corn, black beans, cheddar and green onions. Spoon into the center of each acorn squash. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
4

Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Expert Tips

Mix diced chicken, cooked ground beef or carnitas in with your stuffing for a heartier meal.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving

Calories: 350
Calories from Fat: 70

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 8g; 13%
Saturated Fat 4g 20% Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol: 20mg; 6%
Sodium: 650mg; 27%
Potassium: 1060mg; 30%
Total Carbohydrate: 56g; 19%
Dietary Fiber 14g 58% Sugars 6g
Protein: 14g

% Daily Value*:

Vitamin A: 25%; 25%
Vitamin C: 20%; 20%
Calcium: 25%; 25%
Iron: 25%; 25%

Exchanges:

1 Starch; 0 Fruit; 2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 2 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 1 High-Fat Meat; 0 Fat;

Carbohydrate Choice

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

Let’s taco ‘bout this awesome dinner.

Truth: I love squash. Any kind of squash. Especially acorn squash.

Truth: Every fall, I buy an acorn squash, get it home, let it sit, don’t know what to do with it, and eventually chuck it in the trasholio. It is not a proud moment.

How is that I, food lover to the nth degree, can’t figure out what to do with a darned squash I love?

This is the question I ask myself. Followed up by: If I create recipes for a living and still can’t figure out what to do with an acorn squash, how is any home cook (like your lovely self) supposed to know what to do with that hard little nugget of autumn goodness?

So it’s high time for a change. Because acorn squash is just too good to pass up. This is its season. It has arrived. It’s time for acorn squash to shine.

And thusly, I hit the kitch for you (and me), to figure out a super quick, tasty way to prep this winter squash up, stat.

Get ready. Get set. Let’s acorn squash.

It all starts here. A basic lineup of stuff we know and like. Beans, quinoa, diced tomatoes. What’s to love? (And it just gets better from here.)

Poke some holes in the squash with a fork and microwave them, one at a time, to tender-fy.

Then mix together the other ingredients. (See how easy this is? It makes my whole heart happy.)

Then you slices those tender, fresh-outta-the-micro squashies and scoop out the seeds. Then stuff them with your stuffage.

And by stuffage, I mean stuffing. But you totally knew that.

And bake. Until hot and cheesy and all sorts of THIS.

And for the finish, a bit of green, of course. (Because we’re foodies, yo.) And there you have it—stuffed acorn squash in no time at all.

Brooke blogs at Cheeky Kitchen, where she shares crazy simple, healthy family recipes. She joined Tablespoon to share some of her best, so keep an eye on Brooke's profile to see what she cooks up next!