Roasted Acorn Squash Topped with Cilantro and Goat Cheese

This Roasted Acorn Squash with Cilantro and Goat Cheese is one of our favorite fall dishes.  We love experimenting with different ways of cooking squash. We try a new recipe at least once a month, using various types of squash such as Acorn, Butternut, Zucchini, Summer Squash, Patti Pan, and many others. We can't believe how delicious and nutritious squash is, as it's loaded with vitamins and low in calories. 

Acorn squash can be combined with a variety of spices to create different flavors. In this recipe, we roasted the Acorn squash in the oven while grilling. The roasted Acorn squash, topped with cilantro and goat cheese, was a fantastic side dish that complements any meal. As we move into fall, this is one of our favorite side dishes and roasting acorn squash takes a few minutes of prep time for an amzaing dish.

Acorn Squash isn't just for winter

I find it very funny that Amy loves squash  When she was a kid, she would try anything but squash.  Squash would not put her in a happy place!  She would never complain.   She never complained about anything except when her stomach would hurt, and her stomach always hurt when we had squash!!!  Just like Pesto with pine nuts or Squash with pecans.  It's a good thing I didn't cook with nuts that often.

As it turns out, Amy has a nut allergy - and it wasn't that she didn't like some foods we were making; she was allergic!  Now when she gets something with nuts, her lips swell up, and she can't talk. . . there are days I want to give her an almond joy bar!!!  No, Not really; it is scary to think how something like a tiny little nut can affect someone so much.   Her tree nut allergy is the primary reason we came up with the low-fat Spicy Pesto recipe.

Roasted acorn squash topped with cilantro and goat cheese

A few years ago, we read (actually saw on TV!) that cumin could help speed up metabolism, so we started using it in all our recipes. Though it tasted strange on cereal (just kidding), it worked wonders in this recipe, making it a star ingredient. Furthermore, we're big fans of goat cheese and thought it would make a great addition to this roasted acorn squash recipe. The only challenging part of this recipe was cutting the squash in half.

Roasting acorn squash is really easy and is a great side dish. We love it in the early fall and its a perfect dish with Thanksgiving dinner.

Cutting the squash is so much fun. . . NOT REALLY!!!!!

Make sure to have a really sharp knife. Cut the squash in half. Remove the seeds. NOTE: The seeds can be rinsed off and roasted. They can make a great snack.

Lay the squash half on a cutting board face down and cut at each groove.  I'm not sure why, but the hardest part of cutting the squash is cutting it in half.  For some reason, cutting it into pieces was easier than cutting it in half.

After cutting the squash, put it on a baking sheet and spray lightly with olive oil.  Then sprinkle on the cayenne pepper, cumin, onion powder, and salt.   Roast the acorn squash at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, flip, and roast it for an additional 30 minutes

When Acorn Squash is done, toss with goat cheese and top with cilantro.

Looking for something else? You might also enjoy these recipes.

• Stuffed Acorn Squash - Acorn squash stuffed with Chicken, creamy cheese, sautéed mushrooms, and Spinach/Kale. Easy, fun to make, and everyone gets their own squash bowl!
• Stuffed Acorn Squash with Spinach, Cheese and Mushrooms - Stuffed Acorn Squash With Spinach, Cheese, and Mushrooms made us so happy on Meatless Monday. This Cheesy, Creamy dish will make everyone happy!
• Stuffed Acorn Squash with Turkey - Discover the light and tasty flavor of Stuffed Acorn Squash- Ground Turkey, Rainbow Chard, Cheese, and roasted Garlic!
• Roasted Herb Garlic Patty Pan - Discover the delicious taste of oven-roasted Pattypan Squash. It's a delectable summer squash with garlic and herbs
• Delicious Healthy Squash Dishes - Discover the deliciousness of squash with Butternut, Acorn, Patti Pan, and Spaghetti recipes that are easy and tasty!