This Ground Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe is filled with a combination of apples, raisins, sage, and cinnamon. It's an easy comfort dish that's perfect on a chilly fall or winter night! This healthy acorn squash recipe follows the SCD, Paleo, and Whole30 diets. It is gluten free, grain free, added sugar free, and dairy free.
This ground turkey stuffed acorn squash recipe is a favorite of mine and is a go-to dish during the fall!
It's a rustic and flavorful meal that will leave you feeling satisfied, without a lot of fuss.
The combination of raisins, apples, and sage lend a delightful sweetness to the turkey that my entire family (two picky toddlers included) enjoys!
This recipe is a great weeknight meal and would be perfect for serving on Thanksgiving if you don't feel like roasting a whole turkey!
The shells of the acorn squash make for such a beautiful presentation too...don't you think?!
How can you tell if an acorn squash is ripe?
A ripe acorn squash will be dark green in color and should be heavy for its size.
The skin should be smooth, dull, and have no soft spots.
For this recipe, try to find two acorn squashes that are about the same size.
How do you cook acorn squash?
The shells of the acorn squash are going to double as the bowls for this recipe.
Begin by cutting off the stem and the bottom of your squash so that they will sit as evenly as possible.
Next, cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.
Place the squash face down in a baking dish and fill with just enough water to cover the bottom of the baking dish.
Roast the squash until tender, then immediately turn the squash over so that the cut sides are facing up.
This step is very important because if you leave them cut side down after baking, they will continue to steam and the shells will become too fragile to use as bowls for your meal.
Once the squash are cool enough to handle, very carefully scoop out the flesh (making sure to leave about a ¼ inch of squash around the shell), mash it with the back of your fork and set aside.
Making the turkey filling
While the acorn squash is roasting, brown the turkey in a large pan.
Add the spices, herbs, apples, raisins, and onions (at this point, it's going to smell AMAZING!).
Mix the mashed acorn squash with the turkey mixture until well combined before gently filling each acorn squash shell with the turkey mixture.
Place the turkey stuffed acorn squash back into the oven and roast just until the apples are tender.
Garnish with some fresh sage and you've got yourself a mouthwatering meal that is perfect for a crisp fall night!
Here are some other comforting meals you'll enjoy!
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NOTE: If following the SCD diet, I suggest contacting the company to verify ingredients before using any prepackaged products.
Recipe
Ground Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 2 medium acorn squash
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 Tablespoon fresh sage chopped
- ½ cup diced Spanish onion
- 1 cup diced gala apples (about 1 apple)
- ¼ cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Cut acorn squash into halves and scoop out the seeds and fibers. Place the halves, cut side down, in a baking dish. Add water to a depth of about ¼ inch and bake for 30 minutes or until the squash is just tender.
- While the squash is baking, brown the ground turkey in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once cooked, reduce heat to low. Add salt, rosemary, cinnamon, and sage. Stir until well combined.
- Add onion, apples, and raisins to turkey mixture. Remove from heat.
- Once the squash is tender, remove from the oven and immediately turn the squash so the cut sides are facing up. Drain any liquid from the baking dish. Scoop the pulp out of the shells, leaving about ¼ inch wall of squash around each shell.
- Mash the pulp with the back of a fork and combine with the turkey mixture.
- Place the mixture into the hollowed out squash shells and return to the oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until the apples are tender.
- Garnish with fresh sage and serve warm.
Notes
- Do not allow your cooked acorn squash halves to remain in the baking dish cut side down after baking or they will continue to steam and the shells will become too fragile to use as bowls for your meal.
Nutrition
Liz M
This is like Fall in a bowl. I did cook the onions before the meat because I love onions cooking on a fall day. Didn’t have raisins but it did not matter. So amazing.
Jennifer Brown
Glad you enjoyed the recipe!