Spicy Sweet Potato: Twice Baked Acorn Squash

Twice Baked Acorn Squash is the epitome of creamy and delightful comfort food. Perfect for cool Fall weather, this dish is made of a roasted acorn squash that’s overflowing with tasty ingredients from cheese to mushrooms to lentils. The recipe does take a little time to assemble, but it’s not difficult and is worth a few extra minutes. To enjoy this amazing dish the first step is to halve the squash and place it in the oven to roast until perfectly golden and fork tender. While the squash is roasting, a delicious sauteed vegetable mixture is prepared. Once the squash is finished roasting, simply scoop out the inside of the squash and combine it with the sauteed vegetables to create he amazing filling. Finally,scoop the filling back into the empty squash halves and return them to the oven for a few minutes to brown before digging into this delicious meal.

Twice Baked Acorn Squash
Gluten Free
Serves Two
Click Here for Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 medium acorn squash (about 2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
3 Brussels sprouts, sliced
2 ounces cauliflower florets (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup vegetable broth (divided)
2 ounces shiitake mushroom caps (about 1 cup), quartered or halved (depending on size)
2-3 button mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 wedge Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup baby spinach
1/2 cup cooked lentils
2 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese
1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon green onions, chopped
Salt & Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with olive oil spray.

2. Cut squash in half to form two round “bowls”, then trim the ends slightly to remove the stems so squash has a a flat base to sit on. Use a spoon (a grapefruit spoon works great for this) to scoop out the squash seeds from each half.

3. Spray inside of squash with olive oil spray and season with salt and pepper. Place squash on baking sheet, scooped out side facing down. Transfer baking sheet to oven and roast squash for 32-36 minutes or until squash can easily be pierced with a fork. Once squash is cooked, remove from oven, but leave oven preheated to 400 degrees.

4. While the squash is roasting, add olive oil to a large nonstick skillet and heat to low. Add garlic and fennel seeds to skillet; saute for 30 seconds.

5. Add Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. Stir to combine with garlic, then increase heat to medium. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the vegetable broth, then cover skillet with a lid. Let vegetable cook, undisturbed, until tender, 4-6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Add shiitake and button mushrooms to skillet. Saute vegetables for 3 minutes, then deglaze with balsamic vinegar.

7. Add Laughing Cow, Dijon, red pepper flakes, thyme, salt and pepper to vegetables. Pour in remaining tablespoon of broth, then stir to combine all ingredients. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until ingredients are heated through and cheese is melted.

8. Stir in lentils and spinach. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until spinach is cooked down. Remove skillet from heat and set aside until ready to fill squash.

9. Once the squash is finished roasting, let sit for a few minutes until it’s cool enough to handle (you can also use a clean dish towel while holding the squash if it’s still too hot after a few minutes). Use a spoon to scoop out the “flesh” of each squash half into a medium mixing bowl. Leave a small border around the edges so squash “shells” still hold their shape.

10. Add sautéed vegetables and yogurt to bowl with squash. Stir well to combine all ingredients.

11. Place squash shells back on baking sheet (if you’ve moved them), then scoop about half of the filling into each squash shell. Sprinkle the top of each with 1 teaspoon of parmesan.