Two foods that I vividly and nostalgically remember as things my mom used to make are Roasted Acorn Squash and Thanksgiving Feasts. To this day, I can’t have either without taking a trip down memory lane to her amazing meals. So, given our newfound affinity for Stuffed Acorn Squash, this meal just seemed like a fitting homage to her.
On to the food! This particular squash variety the perfect serving vessel, as it is perfectly bowl shaped, and it can add flavours and textures to whatever you stuff it with! So, with Thanksgiving coming up tomorrow, we figured we’d stuff a squash to create a nice little “Portion Control” Thanksgiving Meal that we think Mom would have LOVED! These little babies are great if you’re having a smaller Thanksgiving dinner, as you can get your favorite flavours without making a giant feast!
The key idea is that you scoop out your squash to form the bowl, and then you fill it with your Favourite Thanksgiving Dishes! Unfortunately, given the size of the bowls, you likely have to limit yourself to two filling components. We used Herbed Gravy Pulled Turkey (in a Worcestershire Hay Gravy) and Gramma’s Chestnut Stuffing for ours. A few good substitution ideas that may intrigue you are:
- Turkey:
- Thanksgiving Sides:
Happy Thanksgiving to your and your families!
Time: 75 Minutes (+8 hours slow cooker time for the Turkey)
Ingredients (as we made it…but switch up the fillings as you see fit!):
- Acorn Squash
- For your Turkey:
- Turkey Thigh
- Ground Sage
- Dried Parsley
- Hay Stock (or Turkey Stock)
- Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 Tbsps Butter
- 2 Tbsps All Purpose Flour
- Dried Cranberries
- Stuffing (use boxed, or Make Your Own) or Mashed Potatoes
Method:
- Place your turkey thigh in the slow cooker, and sprinkle some dried parsley and ground sage atop. Turn the slow cooker to low, and cook for 8-10 hours.
- About 30 minutes before your turkey is finishing in the slow cooker, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Cut the tops and bottoms off your squash. Then, place the squash flat side down, and cut in half. Scoop out and discard the seeds.
- Rub a little butter on the flesh of your squash, and start to roast it.
- Make your stuffing.
- Remove your turkey from the slow cooker, and pull the skin and any pieces of bone out. Then, shred your turkey with two forks.
- Melt your butter in a saucepan, and then whisk in your flour. Heat it for around a minute so it bubbles. Then, whisk in your hay stock (or turkey stock) to thicken.
- As your sauce thickens, add your pulled turkey to the pot, and sprinkle in some dried cranberries. Cook until your gravy is thick and coats your turkey well.
- Remove your acorn squash from the oven, and fill one side with stuffing. Then, scoop your turkey into the other side.
- Continue roasting your squash until the flesh of your acorn squash is easy to pierce with a fork, and the top of your fillings begins to caramelize (~40 minutes).
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
