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My stuffed squash is light on calories without any sacrifice to the flavour. The secret is using chipotle flavoured ground turkey and wild rice, plus the tang of feta cheese, to make this dinner a low calorie winner!
We often hear about beauty and abundance of the summer fruits and vegetables but I think that autumn and winter are unfairly overlooked. Just look at the colours and vibrancy on this plate!
Winter vegetables are amazing and squash is my all time favourite mainly because there are so many ways to cook it. Stuffing squash with different things is always a fun dinner option.
What can you stuff squash with?
I’ve used a similar recipe in the past with eggplant and my family always loved it. But when I swapped an eggplant for a squash, beef for turkey, added wild rice, chipotle peppers and feta cheese I realised that I ended up with a completely different animal.
This stuffed squash is literally bursting with bold flavours of chipotle, cilantro, red peppers and squash. The nutritional benefits of all the listed above plus lean turkey meat and wild rice is a HUGE bonus.
The truth is that squash can be stuffed with almost anything so long as they can be controlled for time. That means, fully cooked at the same time. Sometimes that means pan frying a few ingredients first as I did here.
Once you work out the ingredients you love to stuff with, there are endless combinations that can be explored. I’ve made vegetarian stuffed squash using spinach and artichoke stuffing, and had fun with Italian flavours in stuffed bell peppers. And there are also more traditional stuffing options to go back to, like these Russian stuffed peppers I grew up with.
Ingredients
Once you have the base recipe mastered, this is definitely one that you can adapt based on your preferences and the ingredients that are available. But I would suggest starting with this list of ingredients before branching out:
winter squash of any variety
ground turkey or lean ground beef
tomato and chipotle paste
vegetables of your choice for extra flavour
wild rice
feta cheese or cheese of your choice
How to make it
Cook wild rice in a This is an affiliate link.saucepan in proportion 1/2 cup of wild rice to 3 cups of salted water for 40-45 minutes until the grains have popped. Drain and set aside. Preheat your oven to 400F/200C
Cut your un-peeled squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash on a This is an affiliate link.baking sheet or a This is an affiliate link.roasting pan cut side down and roast for 40 minutes until squash is tender.
When the squash is cool enough to handle scoop out the flesh but leave a 2cm/1″ border to make a cup that will hold our filling.
Now, let’s prepare our turkey and wild rice filling. It’s very important to build flavour into it so it doesn’t taste bland. In 1 tbsp of olive oil cook your chopped onions, cilantro (leaves and stalks), garlic and diced bell pepper over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Add turkey and continue cooking until the meat in no longer pink, then add tomato paste and chipotle peppers, combine everything.
Now add wild rice and mashed squash, salt and pepper, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Divide the mixture among 4 squash halves, sprinkle with feta cheese. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 350F/180C. Sprinkle with additional feta and chopped cilantro.
Recipe Tips and Notes
I used butternut squash, but spaghetti squash and acorn squash can also be used.
Try to find squash that are close to the same size so they cook in the same amount of time.
Squash can be very hard and difficult to cut open. Be sure to use a sharp knife so it will open you want it to. Insert the knife in the centre top, then press down to cut the squash in half.
I found the sharpness of feta to be perfect for the savoury flavours of this dish, but you can choose other varieties of cheese.
Serving suggestions
Part of the genius with stuffed vegetables is that they work as a complete meal all on their own. Each serving is a complete meal with all the meat and veg you could want.
All you really need to serve alongside them is a tasty green salad, both to add a bit more substance to the meal and to add a bit of freshness to the hearty stuffed squash.
Storage and leftovers
If you have any leftovers, they can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. It’s best to reheat them in an oven set to 180C/350F for 15-20 minutes, although a microwave can also be used.
Stuffed squash can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Allow them to fully defrost and come to room temperature then reheat in the same way as refrigerated leftovers.
Cook wild rice in a saucepan in proportion 1/2 cup of wild rice to 3 cups of salted water for 40-45 minutes until the grains have popped. Drain and set aside. Preheat your oven to 400F/200C
Cut your unpeeled squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash on a baking sheet or a roasting pan cut side down and roast for 40 minutes until squash is tender.
When the squash is cool enough to handle scoop out the flesh but leave a 1″ border to make a cup that will hold our filling.
Meanwhile make the filling. In 1 tbsp. of olive oil cook the chopped onions, cilantro (leaves and stalks), garlic and diced bell pepper over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Add turkey and continue cooking until the meat in no longer pink, then add tomato paste and chipotle peppers or paste, then combine everything. Now add wild rice and mashed squash, salt and pepper, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Divide the mixture among 4 squash halves, sprinkle with feta cheese. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 350F/180C. Sprinkle with additional feta and chopped cilantro.
Julia Frey is a London based recipe developer and photographer. Julia founded Vikalinka in 2012 with the main mission to provide her readers with delicious and accessible everyday recipes, which could be enjoyed by everyone.
What a wonderful colorful dish! Perfect for the Holidays! I’ve been thinking of stuffing squash too, but not sure if I will actually get to it for this Thanksgiving. 🙂
Soooo tasty! The rice, veg and mince mixture – can it be frozen?
So glad you enjoyed it, Roz. Yes, it can definitely be frozen!
What a wonderful colorful dish! Perfect for the Holidays! I’ve been thinking of stuffing squash too, but not sure if I will actually get to it for this Thanksgiving. 🙂
Yes, I love the colours! 🙂