Stuffed Acorn Squash

I made this dish up when I did a Whole30 a year ago. I searched online for recipes and never found one I liked (or that didn't contain cheese or bread crumbs!) 

What you need:

2-3 acorn squash 

1lb of ground meat (I used Italian sausage) 

Veggies of your choosing (spinach, kale, mushroom, onion, peppers etc.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepping and cooking the squash:

-Cut each squash in half from top to bottom and scoop out the insides.

-Slice a bit off the back side of the squash so it will sit flat and not roll around. Don't cut too deep or you'll make a hole in the inside of your bowl.

-Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and spray with cooking spray or lightly grease with oil. Place each squash bowl-side up on the sheet. Make sure there is enough room and they are not crowded or they will not cook evenly. 

-Pour about 1/2 TBSP water into each squash, tent loosely with foil and bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for 30-45 minutes. (Until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork.)

While the squash cooks, prepare your filling:

-Cook ground meat, adding spices if your meat is not spiced already. You can add things like Salt, pepper, sage, oregano, italian seasoning, fennel etc.

-When your meat is almost done, add mushrooms and onions - if you plan to add them, then finish cooking the meat.

- Add greens such as spinach or kale at the end and continue cooking for a few more minutes until the greens are wilted. Set aside.

Assembling:

-When both your squash and meat mix are finished, carefully spoon meat mixture into the squash bowls Packing in as much as you can. 

-Return  the squash with filling into the oven for another 15-20 minutes. If your meat is starting to brown too much, tent loosely with foil to prevent burning.

Serve and enjoy! (I like to pair this with a nice light salad with home made balsamic vinaigrette.)

3 small acorn squash $3.10

Kale $0.89

Onion: $0.79

Italian Sausage $2.19

Total for 6 servings: $6.97

Total per serving: $1.16

Obviously this would cost more if you added mushrooms and did not have spices on hand to season your meat with. But even with possible added costs this is still an easy, budget-friendly meal!