Baked Loaded Acorn Squash

A comfy, cozy little recipe that will warm your tummy and your heart.

I am squash obsessed. Generally, I wait until fall to truly unleash the obsessive nature of my relationship with squash, because that’s when the blue chip varieties are available. My husband and I recently visited a farm in Caledon, where they had giant skids full of mixed squash near the apple orchard. They were freshly cut from the vines and still covered in a thick layer of caked on soil.

A butternut, acorn, and spaghetti squash made their way home with us, and they were each of incredible quality; plenty of rich colour, taste, and texture (no grainy texture here). I prepared each of the squashes different ways (see my butternut squash soup recipe here). Acorn squash are begging to be roasted and stuffed, so that’s what I did. This recipe is great for 2 people, but if the squash is small it could be a nice meal for 1.

Peanut free, nut free, dairy free, egg free, soy free, wheat and gluten free

Ingredients
1 acorn squash, halved, with seeds removed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium sized apple, peeled, cored, sliced
2 tbsp brown sugar
About 1/4 tsp each of cinnamon, ground ginger, ground sage, and ground cardamom
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the Squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Brush the flesh with olive oil. Line a square baking dish with parchment paper and place the halves inside. Place several slices of apple in the center of each half, then spoon 1 tbsp of brown sugar on top. Sprinkle the spices evenly over everything, and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 375F for 45 minutes, then turn up to 400F and bake for 10 minutes. The flesh should be soft, the apples and brown sugar melted, and everything golden brown.

You can eat the acorn squash just like this, or you can add some delicious toppings. My suggestions include:

shelled salted pumpkin seeds
Gluten free oats
cranberry sauce
raisins
Sunbutter
applesauce

Serve them nice and warm with two big spoons.

Serves 2