Southerwestern Stuffed Acorn Squash

My good friend Katie and her boyfriend John were coming over for dinner and I wanted to make something seasonal, acorn squash, with a little Tex-Mex style since they are from Southern California. I came across this easy recipe on Eating Well and changed it up for a delicious dinner for four. I served it with warm corn tortillas and crispy Cesar salad. This meal was ready in no time, fresh and flavorful. You can easily switch up the cheeses, meats, veggies and even the squash! I also think it would be tasty to add in crumbled tortilla chips.

Southwestern Stuffed Acorn Squash

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

2 acorn squash, halved and seeds scooped out

1 lb ground white turkey

1 white onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 cups cherry tomatoes, chopped

1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed

Several dashes of hot pepper sauce

1 cup grated Swiss cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a pan with olive oil and place the acorn halves cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes.

                               

2. While squash is baking lightly coat a large skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Add the turkey and break apart using a wooden spoon; cook until it is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until it is softened, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cayenne powder and cumin and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, beans and hot sauce. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10-12 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and juicy.

                               

3. When the squash halves are tender, remove them from the oven and reduce the heat to 325 degrees. Fill the halves with the turkey mixture and sprinkle the Swiss cheese on top.

                               

4. Bake the stuffed acorn squash until they are heated through and the cheese is melted, about 8-10 minutes.

5. While squash is baking heat up some corn tortillas for the left over turkey mixture. A good tip for quickly warming corn tortillas is to heat them over an open flame on the stove top; flipping using tongs.