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Stuffed Acorn Squash is perfect for your Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving celebrations! Oven-roasted acorn squash gets perfectly caramelized around the edges. It’s stuffed full of wild rice, sweet honeycrisp apples, chopped celery, ground lamb or sausage, and dried cranberries. Top the whole thing off with fresh herbs and parmesan for a dish that’s as beautiful as it is delicious!
Thanks to our friends at the American Lamb Board for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.
Why You’ll Love this Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe:
- Easy and Delicious – Each roasted squash is filled with tender wild rice and lamb, crisp, sweet apples and celery, plus dried cranberries for a touch of sweetness. They are all the flavors of Thanksgiving + fall wrapped up in one delicious package!
- Versatile Main or Side – The squash stuffing is filled with so many delicious things, with enough protein to be a main dish! You can also cut these down into smaller sizes (halves or quarters) cut into halves or quarters to feed a large crowd with this as a side dish.
- Allergy-Friendly – This recipe is gluten-free and can easily be made dairy-free by omitting the parmesan, or using plant based parmesan. Perfect for your guests who may have dietary restrictions!
- Make Ahead – This dish come together so fast, without too much work! But if you do want to save yourself some day-of effort, stuffed squash is easy to make ahead = less stress and that means more time to actually eat all the Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving foods instead of being stuck to the stove!
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).
- Acorn Squash – Choose squash that are all about the same size, so they cook evenly. It’s handy to use squash that naturally has a flat-ish bottom so they sit well on the baking sheet. But if necessary, use a sharp knife to slice the very bottom of the squash so it can sit flat.
- Wild Rice – I recommend rinsing your rice before cooking to remove some of the starchiness and any lingering bits of debris. You could also use white or brown rice.
- Ground Lamb – Visit your co-op or butcher to find locally-sourced lamb! It tastes the best, and supports your local producers.
- Apples – Honeycrisp apples are, well, sweet and crispy! They hold up well to baking without getting too soft. (Any good baking apple will work here – don’t use a soft apple like McIntosh.)
- Dried Cranberries – Unsweetened cranberries are best. You still get a bit of natural sweetness, but that bright tart flavor really comes through.
Recipe Substitutions & Variations:
- Gluten-free – This stuffed acorn squash recipe is already gluten-free!
- Dairy-free – Simply leave off the parmesan cheese, or use your favorite vegan replacement.
- Meat – Feel free to swap lamb for ground beef, ground chicken or ground turkey, or ground savory or sweet Italian sausage.
- Vegetarian – Use a meatless ground beef replacement. If you leave off the cheese, it’s also a delicious vegan stuffed squash recipe!
- Apples – Instead of honeycrisp you can use gala, fuji, braeburn, or any firm and crisp apple you like.
- Toppings – Consider sprinkling on toasted pine nuts, chopped walnuts, or chopped pecans. And feel free to sub parmesan with crumbled feta for a slightly saltier taste.
How to Make Stuffed Acorn Squash:
Step 1: Prep. Cook the rice and preheat your oven.
Step 2: Roast Acorn Squash. First, slice your squash in half and rub with olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Pop them on a baking sheet, cut side down, and roast them for 30 minutes, or until fork tender.
Step 3: Make the Filling. While the squash roasts, cook the filling mixture on the stovetop until things are tender and delicious. Be sure to use a large pot or dutch oven – even a large skillet Stir in some chopped honeycrisp apples and dried cranberries, and you’re basically done!
Step 4: Assemble and Finish. Fill the cavities of the squash with the mixture, bake for 5 more minutes, and top with parmesan cheese, if desired.
Serving + Storing:
Enjoy immediately! Serve as a main dish as is, or slice each half in half to be used as a side. Stuffed acorn squash is scrumptious for fall and winter holidays, or for a cozy fall dinner.
They pair well with other seasonal dishes like baked butternut squash mac and cheese, maple roasted brussels sprouts and butternut squash, or this fresh brussels sprouts salad with maple dressing.
Store leftovers, tightly covered, in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Expert Cooking Tips:
- Make Ahead – The roasted squash and filling mixture can both be prepped a day ahead of time. Assemble & bake until warmed through the next day, when ready to serve.
- Overfill the Squash – Really be generous here and fill each squash cavity with plenty of the lamb and rice mixture… In fact, you want them slightly overflowing!
- Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
FAQs:
First, cut the squash in half width-wise. Use a sturdy metal spoon to outline a large circle around the seeds. Then dig in deep with the spoon, scooping in towards the seeds and up. Work your way around the circle and create an inverted dome. Continue to use the side of the spoon to scrape the sides of the dip so they are clean and smooth.
You can freeze the cooked filling mixture, however, I recommend roasting the squash freshly once you’re ready to add filling and serve. Let the filling thaw in the fridge overnight before using.
Fall is when acorn squash are at their peak, and they’ll continue to be plentiful throughout the winter.
Special Tools:
- Baking Sheet – A sturdy rimmed baking sheet is a must-have in the kitchen!
- Dutch Oven – This is my favorite dutch oven and it’s great for so many recipes from no knead bread, to braised meat, to cozy soups. Any oven proof serving dish with a lid will work as well (or you can cover it with foil).
More Cozy Dinner Recipes to Love:
- Sheet Pan Maple Glazed Salmon with Potatoes
- Beer Braised Beef Short Ribs with Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
- Lamb Sliders with Herb Yogurt Sauce and Roasted Peppers
- Lamb Chops with Rosemary and Pan Roasted Lemony Asparagus
- Healthy Chicken Wild Rice Casserole
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment & star rating!
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Best Ever Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
For the Acorn Squash
- 4 large acorn squash
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- salt + pepper
For the Filling
- 3/4 cup wild rice blend (measured while raw), I like the one from Rice Select
- 1 lb ground lamb, Or pork sausage, ground turkey, etc.
- salt + pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil or butter
- 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 2 tsp dried sage
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 medium honeycrisp apples, diced , I don't bother peeling them, but you can if you want!
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries, Unsweetened or sweetened are both fine.
- 1 cup parmesan, for topping
Instructions
- Prep: Cook rice according to package directions. Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Roast Acorn Squash: Slice the squash in half. Cut the very bottom tip off, so they can sit flat later on. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon, leaving a hollow cavity in the middle of each half. Rub the cut part with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, or until fork tender (this may vary depending on the size of your particular squash).
- Make the Filling: Cook ground lamb (or whatever meat you are using), with a dash of salt and pepper, in a dutch oven over medium heat until browned through. Set aside in a medium bowl. Add 2 tbsp olive oil or butter to the same pot, and add the diced onion and sautee over medium heat until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and celery with a pinch of salt and pepper, and the sage and thyme. Cook, stirring, until the celery is crisp tender. Add the apples, cranberries, and cooked rice and stir to combine. Add the meat last. Taste, and add more seasoning as desired. Note: If you have burnt bits left from any mishaps with your meat, clean your pot or use a new one for the filling. If things went fine and there's brown "residue" left from the meat – you can make the filling on top of that! Those bits are just extra flavor and will help the flavors in the filling develop.
- Assemble + Finish Baking: Spoon the mixture into the hollowed out space in each of the squash halves, filling all the way full. Place the squash back on the baking sheet (filled side up), sprinkle with parmesan (if using) and bake for 5-7 more minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Serve + Store: Enjoy immediately! Serve as a main dish as is, or slice each in half to be used as a side.
- Make Ahead Tips: Store leftovers, tightly covered, in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was a good recipe but too heavy on the rice in my opinion and needs some crunch. I like how the cranberries give it a subtle sweetness. I would make this again without the rice (or sub cauli rice) and I’d add toasted pine nuts and slivered almonds with some greens like spinach or kale.
Thanks for the feedback, Jehan! I appreciate it. Glad you enjoyed the recipe nonetheless.
Was so delish! My entire family (including kiddos ages 2, 3 and 5) LOVED it! Will absolutely be making again!
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Emma!