Acorn Squash Stuffed with Peppers & Goat Cheese

Acorn squash is my favorite squash, if you haven’t figured it out by now. It’s really easy to prepare, easy to cut into, and the best vessel to stuff with a veritable smorgasbord of meats, cheeses, and veggies.

I promise I will feature other squash this Squash September. I know pumpkin and acorn squash have taken over my blog, but I’ve got spaghetti & butternut up my sleeve as well. Acorn squash is tasting so good lately, it’s hard to pass up.

Do you know the best way to pick out a good acorn squash? Look for a dark/hunter green flesh and try to find a bright orange spot where the squash has been laying before it had been picked. That will be your best acorn squash!

This recipe was very simple to make and the stuffing was delicious. This recipe would make a good side dish for some pork tenderloin or grilled chicken breasts! You could even throw in some sliced kielbasa or smoked sausage to make it a sausage-and-pepper stuffed acorn squash for a tasty main dish.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Peppers & Goat Cheese

• Servings: 4
• Time: 1hr 10mins
• Difficulty: Medium
• Print

Roasted acorn squash stuffed with peppers, mushrooms, cabbage and topped with creamy goat cheese.

Ingredients

• 2 acorn squash
• 2 TBS. olive oil
• salt & pepper
• 2 TBS. butter
• 2 cups sliced cabbage
• 1 small sweet onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 2 cups baby portobello mushroooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Directions

1. Roast the acorn squash: slice ends off of squash and then slice in half horizontally so the cut-ends will lay flat on a baking sheet. Scoop out seeds and discard. Place the squash cut-side up on a rimmed baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until squash is tender.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium high heat. Add the onion & peppers and saute for 4-5 minutes until crisp-tender. Add mushrooms, garlic and cabbage and saute for another 3-4 minutes until cabbage is tender and mushrooms are browned. Season with salt and pepper and then set aside.
3. After taking squash out of the oven, preheat the broiler. Stuff squash halves with the cabbage mixture and top with crumbled goat cheese. Broil for about 3 minutes or until cheese is a little melty and browned.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Cut ends off of squash and then slice squash in half horizontally, so the cut-ends will lay flat on a baking sheet. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Place squash on a rimmed baking sheet and brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in an oven set to 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until squash is tender.

Slice onions, red pepper and yellow pepper in 1/4″ slices.

Slice cabbage (enough for 2 cups).

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers, plus a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for 4-5 minutes or until veggies are crisp-tender.

Add mushrooms, garlic and cabbage to the skillet and saute for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove squash from oven and preheat the broiler. Stuff squash with cabbage mixture until squash is overflowing with stuffing.

Top squash with crumbled goat cheese and then broil for about 3 minutes or until cheese is melty and slightly browned.

Let squash cool slightly before serving. Sprinkle with a grind of black pepper.

The goat cheese really is the underrated star of this dish. When you get a mouthful of squash-cabbage-pepper-mushroom mix, the saltiness of the cheese enhances the flavor of that mixture! I use regular ‘ole goat cheese, DO NOT use feta! Feta is a little drier and tangier than plain goat cheese. Plain goat cheese is creamy and salty, and it make this dish what it is. Enjoy!