Roasted Winter Squash with Cornbread Stuffing

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Turkey isn't the only Thanksgiving item great for stuffing. So is butternut squash. My Aunt Diane has made squash soup for the past 27 Thanksgivings. Last year, though, the idea of her soup just wasn't doing it for me. Luckily, it was early enough in the day to make a change. After asking my aunt's permission to take over the squash dish and quickly raiding her pantry, I had everything I needed for Roasted Winter Squash with Cornbread Stuffing. It's a great side to turkey or vegetarian entree (you can replace chicken broth with vegetable broth), which is how I had it because Aunt Diane has been making the same turkey for 27 years as well. But I'll tackle that next year.

Brian Morris

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  • 2

Ingredients

  • 1 small to medium winter squash (acorn, butternut or baby pumpkin, about 1 1/4 pounds)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries or cherries
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 1/3 cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped celery
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoons chopped pecans
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked and crumbled cornbread
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut squash into halves lengthwise and discard seeds. Brush cut sides with 1 tablespoon olive oil and place cut sides down on a baking sheet. Roast 25 minutes or until tender.

Soak dried fruit in hot water 10 minutes. Drain and discard liquid; set aside.

Heat remaining olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, sage and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Combine drained fruit, onion mixture, broth, pecans, cornbread, parsley, salt and pepper.

Place cornbread mixture into each squash half. Return squash to the oven and bake about 20 minutes, until stuffing is thoroughly heated and golden brown on top.

Nutrition Information:
Per serving
570 calories
25 g fat
25 mg cholesterol
1070 mg sodium
85 g carbohydrates
9 g fiber
8 g protein

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