One upside of giving up Meal Planning is how I became more spontaneous in my cooking. Whipping up dinner with whatever I have on hand became a fun nightly challenge. I came up with this Stuffed Butternut Squash recipe by thinking about my favorite stuffing recipe. Hope you enjoy!
SERVING SIZE
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
1 butternut squash (Mine was small but I would advise for a 2 lbs squash. That should be large enough to hold all the filling)
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 lb of ground turkey
3 shallots
1 apple
4 garlic cloves
1 tbsp of fresh sage
1 tsp of dried rosemary
1 tsp of fennel seeds
3 cups of baby spinach
1/3 cup of dried fruits (I used cranberries but currants or raisins could work too)
1/3 cup of chopped nuts (Pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts or pistachios)
Salt and Pepper
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 400F. Slice butternut squash lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and place squash halves face down on a parchment paper line baking sheet. Roast until soft, about 30 minutes. You will know it is ready when you can easily insert a paring knife in the thickest part of the squash.
Meanwhile make the stuffing. Warm up the olive oil in a skillet and add ground turkey. Break turkey in small pieces as you cook it thoroughly. While the turkey cooks, chop the shallots, garlic and sage and dice the apple keeping the skin on. Add to the turkey mixture with the rosemary and fennel seeds and saute for 5 minutes. Add the baby spinach to the skillet and cook until wilted. Mix in the fruits and nuts.
Remove squash from oven and allow to cool down slightly. Flip squash halves over and scoop out enough flesh for the stuffing to fit inside cavity. Make sure to leave enough flesh so it is delicious with the filling. You can also serve the scooped out flesh as a side or reuse it later.
Preheat the broiler and slide stuffed squash halves under. Roast until nicely browned on top. Serve immediately.
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Effortlessly Chuck 