Butternut Squash is AAAAAHHHHHmazing!!
What I LOVE most about Butternut Stuffed Squash is it can be used so many different ways, you can NEVER get tired of it. There are so many delicious winter squashes, I've found that butternut is one of the most common and very versatile. It holds it's shape, so it's great for stuffing AND it has a way of "adapting" in flavor to pair well with pretty much everything else! Oh, and did I mention....it's SO simple to make.
My favorite is stuffed! It's just fun for everyone. This recipe has the perfect amount of sweetness and flavor to be loved by even the most picky eaters. If you have tried any of our recipes you know we LOVE to make our food spicy, and this Butternut squash recipe is no different, it's a very savory dish. And I'm not bragging... but we came up with something really REALLY good here...and guess what. . . it's low in calories and its really freaking good!!!!
This recipe is easy to prepare and makes a nice dish to serve for a dinner party. Plus, your guest will think you slaved away in the kitchen for hours. As in most of our recipes we do everything possible to cut calories while adding flavor. We use 99% fat free ground Turkey instead of sausage. The best part, you get a half of butternut squash for less than 400 calories!!!!
Key Takeaways
- Butternut Squash is versatile and easy to prepare, making it ideal for various dishes and meal types.
- The stuffed butternut squash recipe combines ground turkey, chard, mushrooms, and seasonings for a savory flavor.
- Baking the squash enhances its creaminess and allows for a simple stuffing process.
- This recipe fits well for dinner parties, remaining low in calories while being delicious and satisfying.
- Explore other squash recipes for an array of delicious, healthy dish options.
You won't believe how easy this is to make!
Basically you cut and roast the butternut squash, stuff it with this amazing filling and you have a complete meal that has a good amount of protein and fiber. I think so many people are intimidated to cook squash.
Oh, you don't have to use butternut squash for this dish to work. You can use this exact same recipe and technique for any kind of winter squash. They will all be delicious.
Also, baking the squash instead of steaming or boiling makes it so rich and creamy. I mean you don't need to do anything else after it is finished baking. But I highly recommend you stuff them with this great filling.
Preparing the squash
First preheat your oven to 375F. I know this is a strange detail but it is important to have the oven hot when you put the squash in.
The hardest step in this recipe is cutting the butternut squash! Cut the squash in half (have a large knife to do this!). I always feel like I'm going to lose some fingers when cutting any winter squash (of course depending how much wine I've had the fingers could be in jeopardy just cutting an onion!!!).
I've found the easiest way to cut winter squash is to use the largest knife you have, and starting towards the top of the squash push the blade into the middle (long way in butternut) and then push down on the handle of the knife. Then turn the squash over and do the same cut on the other side. The top part is then easy to cut through. I'm not kidding on this it is scary (at least it was for me) when you are cutting down on the squash. But oh is it worth it!
Don't worry if you don't have a straight cut. It will still be delicious!!!
After you cut the squash scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
Add ½ tablespoon olive oil to the squash and season with 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and cumin on each half of the squash. Place the halves in a baking dish or on a cookie sheet face down.
Bake the Butternut Squash
Poor about ½ cup of water in the bottom of the pan with the butternut squash. Bake in the oven, uncovered for about 45 minutes, until it is really soft and can be pierced with a fork or knife. Just check the squash from time to time to make sure it doesn't burn.
After the butternut squash is soft cut out some of the cooked squash about ½ cup. Chop this and add it to the stuffing mix. The stuffing mix is ground turkey, chard, mushrooms, seasoning, cheddar cheese, and feta (fat-free if you can find it!) and, our trick to cutting calories is to add Philadelphia cream cheese. We don't like to buy the 2% Cheddar cheese, it really doesn't save much in calories, but it does have a difference in flavor and the way it melts.
Another trick we do is to use 99% fat free ground turkey. There is no reason to buy turkey with fat. If you use the spices you enjoy you won't notice any difference in the flavor BUT you will notice the difference in calories. We also love love love roasted garlic. The flavor roasted garlic adds to this dish takes it to another level!! Also, adding a little sherry while you sauté the mushrooms will take your mushrooms from great to FANTASTIC.
Love Squash Season
I can't believe how good and versatile all squash are i.e. Patty pan, zucchini, summer squash etc. And don't even get me started on how cool it is to make a stuffed butternut squash! I think we have made it clear that we are CRAZY about stuffed squash this year! I mean anything that's this easy to make, this flavorful AND fills you up is SO worth making again and again!
Let us know your favorite stuffed squash recipes
How often do you make stuffed squash? What are some of your favorite stuffings and seasonings for squash?
Here are some other recipes you might want to try
Butternut Squash stuffed with turkey and Chard
Ingredients
- 1 Butternut Squash
- ½ Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 3 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper Optional
- 8 Ounces Ground Turkey Use 99% fat free
- 8 Ounces Chard
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 8 Ounces Mushrooms
- 1 Tablespoon Sherry
- 2 teaspoon Roasted Garlic
- 3 Ounces Feta Cheese
- 2 Ounces Cheddar Cheese
- 2 Tablespoon Cream Cheese (Whipped)
- 2 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Roast Butternut Squash
- Preheat oven to 375 degree. Cut squash in half long ways
- With a spoon scoop out seeds from squash
- Add ½ Tablespoon Olive Oil to inside of squash. I like to use a spray bottle. Season with Salt and Pepper about ½ teaspoon per half of squash. Add ½ teaspoon Cumin on each side and if you want to add a little spice add 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Place squash face down in baking dish. Add about ½ cup water to baking dish. Place in oven and bake for 45 to one hour. Start checking the squash after 45 minutes. It might take longer than an hour depending on the size of the squash. Just test the squash with a fork or knife. When it is soft its done!!
Stuffing
- While the squash is cooking make the stuffing. Wash and chop the chard. We used regular chard but Rainbow chard would be really pretty in this dish. Sauté chard with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add ¼ cup water and 1 teaspoon cumin. The Chard will cook down kind of like Spinach. This will take about 10 minutes.
- While the chard is cooking. Put the ground Turkey in a fry pan and cook. Season with salt and pepper. I add water to the turkey while it is cooking. By adding water you don't need to use oil. Start with a half cup of water. Add Roasted Garlic and onion powder to Turkey. Sauté mushrooms in 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add a pinch of salt when mushrooms are almost done. Add 1 Tablespoon Sherry at the very end.
- When Turkey is cooked add Chard and mushrooms. Set aside until Squash is finished.
- Remove Squash from oven let cool a few minutes. Cut out about ½ cup of squash from inside of squash. The top part of the squash - makes more room for the stuffing!
Final Touches
- Mix together squash with the turkey mixture
- Add cheeses(Cheddar, Feta and Cream Cheese) to the turkey mixture
- Stuff the squash with the turkey mixture
- Sprinkle the top of each squash with parmesan cheese. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes
- Remove from oven and enjoy. Remember you can eat the entire ½ squash and its it less than 400 calories!!!
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