today, i went in search of anything that didn’t include turkey.
don’t get me wrong, thanksgiving was the most delightful week-long celebration of the blessed bird, but this girl over here needs a tryptophan break!
this stuffed acorn squash recipe has been at the top of my ‘to-try’ list for quite some time now + it’s glorious chipotle flavor was just the ticket to steer me clear of anything familiar from the thanksgiving spread.
the squash is roasted with butter + brown sugar, stuffed with a heat-laden mixture of chicken, whole grains, spinach + spices THEN topped with cheese and crispy brown butter panko.
it’s basically a fall fiesta in your mouth.
sign me up!
while the ingredient list might look a bit daunting or the steps may seem a bit long, give this a try! trust me! you will capitol L-O-V-E it.
you can also take a few short cuts to move this from the three fork of difficulty to the two fork level
for example. .
instead of roasting the chicken at cook time – use rotisserie! or leftovers! {ahem. turkey would totally be fine here!}
instead of filling a pot, boiling a grain + draining – use a 1-minute steam bag!
instead of roasting the squash day-of – toss it in the oven the night before while you catch up on the amazing race. wrap it up, store it + stuff the day-of!
see! this recipe is basically a thirty minute meal, my girl rach would totally approve!
however you roast, mix + stuff this up – do it!
do it, not because i said so but do it because this recipe is from tieghan of the incredible blog, half baked harvest! the recipe is from her amazing archives + no joke, everything she whips up is literal food gold.
cheers to tieghan! cheers to acorn squash! cheers to literally anything that isnt turkey chipotle chicken!
- 2 acorn squash, halved + seeded
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 whole canned chipotle chilies in adobo, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup cooked grain of choice {i used trader joe’s harvest blend}
- 1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- shredded mozzarella cheese, to taste
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- reserved butter from the cooked squash
- preheat your oven to 425º
- place the acorn squash on a rimmed baking sheet, brush the insides of each acorn squash with the melted butter + then sprinkle on the brown sugar to evenly coat. season the squash halves with salt, pepper + cayenne, to taste.
- bake until the flesh of the squash is fork tender. {about 40 minutes, depending on the size of your squash}
- while the squash is baking, add the chicken to an oven-proof baking dish, season with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt + pepper and add it to the oven for the last 20 minutes of the cook time.
- remove the squash from the oven, remove any remaining liquid to a small dish + set aside {you will need this for the bread crumbs!}
- remove the chicken from the oven + shred the chicken with two forks.
- while the chicken cools, grab a large bowl + combine remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil through the pepper. stir to combine + set aside.
- add the spinach, chicken, cooked grains + chipotle sauce together. {the heat from the grains or chicken should wilt the spinach}
- next, stuff the squash halves with the chicken mixture, top with shredded cheese + bake until the cheese has melted {about 10 minutes at 425º}
- remove the acorn squash from the oven + garnish with fresh cilantro and the browned butter bread crumbs. enjoy!
- while the squash bakes, add the reserved butter from the squash to a small saucepan.
- once the butter is hot, stir in the panko bread crumbs, stir to coat + let the crumbs brown over medium heat until fragrant + golden in color.
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