Looking for a delicious and filling dinner for two? Then try this stuffed squash recipe loaded with ground turkey, wild rice, apples, and herbs.

Photography Credit: Sally Vargas | Banner Art Credit: Elena Resko

Mild and buttery acorn squash filled with sage, rosemary, wild rice, apples, and ground turkey makes a satisfying complete meal for two.

I love how tart apples and dried cranberries amplify the hint of sweetness in the squash. Wild rice is so pretty and has an earthy flavor and chewy texture. Combine all of those tasty bits with ground turkey, celery, and herbs and it adds up to supper in one nice package. I’ll take it!

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TIPS FOR PREPARING ACORN SQUASH

Acorn squash is one of fall and winter’s treasures, so take advantage, and use it in as many ways as possible during chilly weather.

It grows on a vine and has a hard, thin skin. It’s next to impossible to peel acorn squash, so it makes sense to roast it in the oven. The skin actually is edible when well cooked, so eating it (or not eating it) is simply a matter of taste.

To roast an acorn squash, do the following:

Cut in half, brush the flesh with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake it with the cut side down on a baking sheet until it is soft and can be pierced with a fork. It usually takes about 40 minutes, depending on the size of your squash. When finished, the edges will caramelize a little.

Once cooked, all that’s left is to fill it and reheat it. You have plenty of time to make the filling while the squash roasts.

HOW TO MAKE THE FILLING FOR STUFFED SQUASH

There’s nothing complicated here. After you’ve roasted the squash, turn it over on the baking sheet so the hollow center faces up.

While the rice for the filling cooks, sauté the ground turkey, and add shallots, celery, and apples. Stir in the herbs and cranberries. Once the rice is cooked, stir it into the skillet, and it’s ready to spoon onto the squash halves.

Finally, sprinkle with breadcrumbs for a little extra crunch, and return it to the oven to bake until it’s hot all the way through and browned on top.

TIP! If the squash is uneven on the bottom (tippy) use a large chef’s knife to cut off a sliver from the underside. This will help keep it from tipping to the side during baking.

For more information on which apple varieties are best for baking, check out our Guide to Apples.

WHAT IS WILD RICE?

Wild rice is an annual water-grass seed that grows in marshlands, wetlands, and naturally slow-moving watery areas where it was originally found growing wild. It has been hybridized to make it compatible with commercial cultivation. Its texture is chewier than other varieties of rice.

Since the seeds absorb water slowly, the best way to prepare it is to cook it in abundant water, like pasta. For a step by step of this technique, checkout our recipe for Easy Boiled Rice.

Feel free to substitute a different kind of rice and use what you have on hand. Any of the varieties below would taste great with this dish:

Brown rice

Jasmine rice

Basmati rice

Wild rice mix

WAYS TO ADAPT THIS RECIPE

Everyone has different tastes and contents in their freezers. The recipe is easy to adapt.

Make it vegetarian! This recipe is tasty enough to leave out the turkey entirely.

This recipe is tasty enough to leave out the turkey entirely. You don’t have ground turkey handy? Just replace it with pork or chicken sausage.

Just replace it with pork or chicken sausage. The only sausage you have is in links? Remove the casings and cook as you would a tube of ground turkey.

TIPS TO MAKE THIS RECIPE AHEAD

If you want to get a head start, you could roast the squash two to three days ahead of time—maybe while you are cooking or eating dinner one night. When cool, wrap it in plastic and store in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it.

You could do the same with the filling, especially if you prep a few meals at once for the week. Store the components separately, or stuff the squash and store it, ready to go, in the fridge for up to two to three days.

When you’re ready to eat, assemble it, but plan on adding an extra 20 minutes to the cook time to heat it all the way through at 375ºF.

NEED MORE SQUASH IN YOUR LIFE?