Let’s Get Stuffed: Cooking with Acorn Squash

All the beautiful squash at the grocery store have been so inspiring lately - each one in a different shape, size, and color, just waiting to find its way into my kitchen. I decided to purchase a butternut squash, spaghetti squash and acorn squash, and good thing they have a long shelf life because it took me some time to get around to cooking all three. Join me on my squash-cooking journey!

I first started with the butternut squash. I peeled and seeded the squash and cut it into a large dice. I tossed it with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roasted it on a sheet tray (no parchment since it prohibits browning) at 425° until it was golden brown around the edges, which took 12 to 15 minutes. I added the roasted squash to my apple and mixed green salad with blue cheese crumbled on top. I also added some of the roasted squash to my quinoa grain bowl with mixed green, roasted cauliflower and beets.

Next on the list was the spaghetti squash. I cut it in half, placed it on a parchment-lined sheet tray and roasted it at 375° until it was knife tender. After it cooled a bit, I scooped out the seeds and then used a fork to shred the squash which looked like spaghetti- hence the name! Just last night I made spaghetti squash and black bean enchiladas. And this morning I heated up the squash and topped it with an over easy egg for breakfast. A little sprinkling of feta on top brought the whole dish together.

Now it was time to cook the acorn squash, and I knew all along that I was going to roast it and fill it with a savory bread pudding. This is a dish we have been making at TCB for as long as I can remember (and I have been at TCB for a long time!) for good reason. It’s the perfect dish for your next fall dinner party, and the best part is that it’s vegetarian. If you are a vegetarian or have vegetarians coming over for Thanksgiving this year, keep this recipe handy. I promise it will be a crowd pleaser.

The first step is to cut the squash in half lengthwise, from top to bottom. Brush the inside of your squash with olive oil (you can also use pan spray) and season with salt and pepper. I always roast my squash cut side down, because this prevents the squash from drying out.

While the squash is roasting, make the savory bread pudding mixture. There are three simple parts to making the bread pudding, so let’s break it down:

Part #1: The Bread

Use any bread you like! Rye bread, sourdough, pumpernickel, multigrain bread or a good French baguette, so use any of these or a combination. Whichever bread you choose, make sure to cut it even before you start roasting the squash so it can dry out a bit. If the bread is too soft when you mix it with the custard, it’s going to soak it all up and become mushy.

Part #2: The Veggies and Aromatics

I love the flavors of onions, garlic and mushrooms so that’s what I put in my bread pudding, but remember that my recipe is a template and you can add any ingredients of your choosing. I started by sautéing onions and mushrooms until lightly caramelized. I then added the garlic and cooked it until aromatic. I deglazed the pan with some good quality white wine and reduced it until dry. Always remember to taste for seasoning!

Part #3: The Custard

This is simple because all you need to do is whisk together eggs, egg yolks, milk and heavy cream. Again, don’t forget to season this mixture with salt and pepper.

Now it’s time to bring all the elements of the bread pudding together. Add your bread to the custard along with the sautéed onion and mushroom mixture. Stir in some fresh chopped rosemary and gruyere cheese. Let this mixture sit for about 30 minutes so all the flavors can blend together.

It’s assembly time! In order to make room in my roasted squash halves for more bread pudding, I ended up scooping out some of the roasted squash. I currently have it saved in a deli container in my fridge- I’m not sure how I’m going to use it, but I most certainly will.

I filled the squash with the solids from the bread pudding first and then ladled in the custard until they were full. I did have a few cups of the bread pudding left that didn’t fit in the squash, so I poured it into a small, buttered baking dish and baked it off separately.

I roasted the stuffed squash until the custard was set and no longer runny, which took 35 to 40 minutes. I should also point out that you should place the squash on foil because it’s inevitable that some of the custard spills out of the squash.

The stuffed squash was so savory and so comforting for the cooler weather. By the time I was done, the only thing left on my plate was the scraped clean squash skin!

Bread Pudding Stuffed Acorn Squash

Yield: 2 servings

Active time: 45 minutes

Start to finish: 1 hour, 35 minutes

For the acorn squash:

2 acorn squash

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

For the bread pudding:

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 yellow onion, medium dice

1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup white wine

Salt and pepper to taste

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

3/4 cup whole milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups bread, cut into 1-inch cubes and allowed to dry out for about 30 minutes

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, from top to bottom. Cut a small slice off the skin side of each half so it stands and doesn’t roll around.
   
   
3. Brush the inside of the squash and the cut sides with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Place it cut side down on a parchment or foil-lined sheet tray. Roast until the squash is completely knife tender, about 45 minutes. Allow to cool a bit.
5. While the squash is roasting, prepare the bread pudding mixture. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add the butter. Sauté the onions and mushrooms until they are lightly caramelized.
6. Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds, or until aromatic.
7. Deglaze the pan with white wine and reduce until dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to cool a bit.
8. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, cream and milk. Fold in the bread, the onion-mushroom mixture, rosemary and Gruyere cheese. Allow to sit for 25 to 30 minutes.
9. Spoon the bread pudding into the roasted squash, and bake in a foil-lined baking dish or sheet tray until the bread pudding is set, 35 to 40 minutes.
10. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

If you’re excited by all of the winter squash that’s piled high in the stores right now, but need some culinary inspiration, don’t miss these following classes. We’ll teach you how to expertly prepare this fall produce:

• Squash It! Cooking with Winter Squash on Thursday, November 20 at 6pm
• Lunch and Learn: Butternut Squash Risotto on Friday, November 21 at 12pm
• Vegetarian Thanksgiving on Monday, November 24 at 6pm
• Fall Vegetable Harvest on Saturday, December 6 at 11am