Baked Acorn Squash with Thanksgiving Stuffing

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. This year we’re going to visit my husband’s parents in Seattle. But usually it’s just the two of us celebrating at home. I’ve long since stopped roasting a whole turkey with all the trimmings. We all know that it’s the stuffing and side dishes we really like anyways :) Below is a recipe for acorn squash topped with Thanksgiving stuffing. The acorn squash is a real fall classic. Sage, rosemary and yellow onion give the stuffing the traditional flavors we associate with Thanksgiving. Dried cranberries add a touch of sweetness. Meatless crumbles and diced eggplant keep the stuffing lite. It’s a complete Thanksgiving meal all in one!

Serving size:	1/2 acorn squash
Number of servings:	2
Calories per serving:	259

Ingredients	Calories
1 small acorn squash (approx. 700 grams)	280
1/2 cup meatless crumbles	114
1 1/2 cups eggplant, diced	31
1/4 cup diced yellow onion	16
2 Tbsps fresh sage leaves, finely chopped	12
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped	3
2 Tbsps dried cranberries	64
1/2 tsp salt	0
1/4 cup water	0

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the acorn squash in half and remove the seeds. Line a baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil. Place the acorn squash on the lined baking sheet, cut side down. Bake the acorn squash for 30 minutes. Turn the acorn squash to be cut side up on the baking sheet and bake an additional 20 minutes (until acorn squash is fully cooked). Remove the acorn squash from the oven and lightly salt.

In a small food processor, add the diced eggplant. Process until eggplant resembles tiny grains of rice.

In a non-stick skillet combine diced yellow onion, processed eggplant, meatless crumbles, sage, rosemary, salt and water. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Turn off heat. Add cranberries.

Top each half of the acorn squash with half the stuffing mixture. Serve.

Barbara's Tips

	The acorn squash is done when it can be pierced with a knife and the knife glides through the squash with no resistance. Don’t worry if you overcook the squash a little. It just gets sweeter and softer. When it comes to baking acorn squash, too much is better than not enough.
	If the stuffing mixture sticks to the frying pan, add a little more water. If there is too much water, keep cooking the mixture until the water evaporates.
	Add the cranberries at the end to keep them bright red and preserve all their sweetness. Cooking the cranberries darkens them and dulls their flavor.

Essential Flavor Ingredients

	Rosemary is a woody perennial herb with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves. It provides strong hearty flavors to dishes like this one. It’s a must in classic Thanksgiving stuffing.
	Sage is a Mediterranean herb with fuzzy, oval, gray-green leaves that are pungent and slightly bitter with a musty mint taste and aroma. It gives this dish the traditional flavors we associate with Thanksgiving.
	Yellow onion is a variety of onion with a strong flavor. They are white inside with a thin papery skin on the outside that has a yellow-brown color. Yellow onions have a stronger, more complex flavor than white onions. They combine well with the strong flavors of the sage and rosemary in this dish to provide the classic flavors we associate with Thanksgiving stuffing.
	Dried cranberries are made by partially dehydrating fresh cranberries, a process similar to making grapes into raisins. They contain the same nutrients as fresh cranberries (notably dietary fiber and antioxidants). Dried cranberries are used in many dishes both sweet and savory. They are especially popular in Thanksgiving dishes. Their sweetness adds a nice contrast to this dish’s saltiness and strong herb flavors.