Apple and Pork Stuffed Acorn Squash -

Apple and Pork Stuffed Acorn Squash

This Apple and Pork Stuffed Acorn Squash uses a number of classic Autumn ingredients...and one unexpected ingredient, too: vanilla beans!

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 5

Total Time1 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: acorn squash, apple, pork, squash, vanilla bean

Servings: servings

Calories: 619kcal

Author: David

Ingredients

4 medium acorn squash ~1-1¼ pounds each
4 Tbsp olive oil divided
2 cups wild rice
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 medium yellow yellow onion diced
3 celery stalks diced
1 cup corn fresh or frozen
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp fresh sage minced
1 pound ground pork
½ tsp kosher salt plus more for roasting squash
¼ tsp pepper plus more for roasting squash
2 medium green apples peeled and diced
2 Tahitian vanilla beans sliced lengthwise and seeds scraped out

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Using a serrated knife, slice each acorn squash lengthwise; remove seeds. (Tip: Acorn squash have very thick skins and a serrated knife makes it easier to cut the squash in half.)
Place squash cut-side up on a baking sheet; brush the tops and insides of the squash with 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Sprinkle a small amount of salt and pepper on top of each squash and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until flesh is fork-tender.
Meanwhile, place the wild rice and chicken stock in a medium saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil over high heat. Once water begins to boil, reduce heat to low and cover pan with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer (without stirring) until rice has absorbed most of the stock (~30-40 minutes).
Place the remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, corn, garlic and sage; sauté for 5-6 minutes, or until vegetables have softened slightly.
Add the ground pork, salt and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until pork is fully cooked (~10-12 minutes).
Add cooked rice, green apples and vanilla bean seeds; stir until well combined.
Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
Fill the squash halves with the filling (~1 cup per squash half) and roast for another 15-18 minutes at 325°F.

Notes

This recipe will produce extra filling. It’s already cooked, so use it for other recipes. For example, we used that leftover filling to make quesadillas (with a bit of mild cheese to hold it all together)…so tasty!

Nutrition