Stuffed Delicata Squash

Nutritious and comforting, my stuffed delicata squash is a fantastic option when sweet and earthy squash is plentiful in the markets. Prepared with tender, roasted delicata squash filled with a savory combination of seasoned ground turkey, leeks, apples, sage, wild rice, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds, this delicata squash recipe is autumn's answer to a healthy meal!

A cozy and delicious way to enjoy the squash of the season

For me, little says "autumn" more than all of the colorful, wonderfully whimsical squash varieties available in the markets at the moment.

Each of them has its own delicious flavor, texture and look. And let me tell you, I really enjoy creating delicious and cozy recipes from so many of these beauties!

While we love to dig into my recipe for stuffed acorn squash, spaghetti squash casserole, or butternut squash lasagna, I'm always on the lookout for a new and delicious squash recipe to bring to our fall meal rotation.

This season, we've fallen in love with this stuffed delicata squash recipe. It's wonderfully savory and earthy, simple, and loaded with the flavors of fall.

Quick and easy to whip up, this nutritious and comforting meal is hearty yet somehow manages to still be light. It leaves us feeling like we've eaten something really good for us.

So if you've ever wanted to experiment with delicata squash, or have been looking for a scrumptious recipe to make use of these lovely oblong, yellow-orange and green striped cuties, this recipe's for you!

It's just what the autumn season ordered, perfect for a comfy-cozy and healthy midweek meal.

My recipe for stuffed delicata squash

If you're new to delicata squash, or have ever wondered how to prepare this type of squash in a mouthwatering way, then you're going to enjoy this recipe...

Delicata squash is usually small to medium in size, with an oblong shape. The squash is typically predominantly yellow, with lots of green and orange streaks, and a skin that is actually quite delicious to eat!

Squash skin can be a little tough or waxy, but I've found that delicata squash skin (when the squash is roasted) becomes wonderfully light and tender, easy to cut through, and easy to digest. So the wonderful thing about this recipe is that you can eat the entire squash, if desired.

Because I wanted to have a fall-inspired flavor theme here, I'm opting for ground turkey. I season it with savory ingredients, as well as leeks, some diced apples for sweetness, fresh sage and thyme for herby notes, wild rice pilaf for texture, plus dried cranberries and crunchy pumpkin seeds round it all out.

I also appreciate that some easy swaps can be made, as well. You can sub ground chicken, beef, or sweet sausage for the turkey. Quinoa or white or brown rice instead of the wild rice blend is a lovely alternative (and by the way, it's easiest to use precooked rice here). Cherries or currants instead of the cranberries, and even using pecans or walnuts in place of the pumpkin seeds are fantastic choices.

As you can see, this delicata squash recipe is incredibly versatile and fun to prepare!

Here's a peek at my stuffed delicata squash recipe:

(or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I season and roast a couple of halved (and seeded) delicata squash, cut-side down, for roughly 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender.
2. While the delicata roasts, I prepare my filling by sautéing my aromatics and browning my turkey. Then, in a bowl, I mix all the filling ingredients together to have ready.
3. Once the delicata squash is tender, I simply spoon the warm filling into each cavity of the roasted delicata squash, and dig in!

Recipe

Stuffed Delicata Squash

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This fall-inspired stuffed delicata squash recipe is filled with ground turkey, sage, apples, wild rice blend, cranberries and pumpkin seeds!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: American

Yield: Serves 4

Nutrition Info: 519 calories (per stuffed squash half)

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 medium delicata squash (about 2 ½ to 3 pounds total), halved lengthwise, seeds and membrane scooped out
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper
• ½ teaspoon granulated onion
• 2 medium leeks (white and pale green part only), quartered and thinly sliced
• ½ cup finely diced (peeled) Gala apple
• ½ pound ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped sage leaves (about 6 large leaves)
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra for garnish
• 1 clove garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 1 ¼ cups warm, cooked wild rice blend or brown rice (or rice of choice)
• ¼ cup roasted or sprouted pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup dried cranberries (unsweetened or sweetened)

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°, and line a baking sheet with foil.
3. Drizzle the cut sides/insides of each delicata squash half with some olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Evenly sprinkle over each the granulated onion, as well.
4. Place onto the prepared baking sheet, cut-side down, and roast for roughly 25 to 30 minutes, or until the squash is easily pierced with a knife. Remove from oven, carefully flip so that the cut-side is now facing up.
5. While the delicata squash roasts, place a large skillet over medium heat, and drizzle in about 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, add in the sliced leeks and the diced apples, plus a pinch of salt and pepper, and sauté those together for about 6 to 7 minutes, or until pale golden.
6. Add in the ground turkey, as well as another good pinch of salt and pepper, and brown the turkey with the leeks/apples mixture until golden, about 6 to 7 minutes more.
7. Next, sprinkle into the turkey mixture the chopped sage and thyme leaves, plus the garlic, and continue to sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes, just until aromatic, adding a bit more olive oil if the mixture looks a little dry.
8. Then, spoon the turkey mixture into a medium-large bowl, and add in the warm, cooked rice, as well as the pumpkin seeds and the cranberries, and toss together to combine (check to see if any additional salt/pepper is needed). Drizzle in a touch more olive oil, if needed, as well.
9. Finally, spoon the turkey/rice mixture equally into the cavities of each roasted delicata squash half, mounding it up, and place the stuffed delicata squash onto a serving platter. Garnish with some fresh thyme, and serve while hot.

Tips & tidbits for my stuffed delicata squash recipe:

• Look for symmetrical delicata squash: While it can be a tall order to find two delicata (or any other type of squash) that are symmetrical for a recipe, if you can find a couple that are close in size and shape, it will be helpful. Using delicata squash that are between 1 pound to 1 ½ pounds each (or roughly a total of 2 ½ to 3 pounds) should do the trick for even roasting.
• Pre-cooked rice for ease, or use a quick recipe: To keep things simple and less time consuming, use a package of pre-cooked rice of your choice here. I love wild rice blends, but brown rice or even plain white rice is perfect. And if you need a quick recipe to make a wild rice blend, combine ½ cup of wild rice (rinsed) with ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons water, plus 1 tablespoon olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for 45 minutes. Then, turn heat off, and allow the rice to steam for 10 minutes with the lid on. To finish, fluff it with a fork, and use all of it for the recipe.
• Ground turkey, or your favorite protein: When I think of autumn recipes, I think of turkey as a fantastic pick. It pairs really well with the flavors of sage and thyme, plus sweet ingredients like apple and cranberry. But feel free to use ground chicken, even sweet or spicy Italian sausage here. You can also make this delicata squash recipe vegan or vegetarian by subbing ground soy or diced tofu, instead, or by omitting the protein and adding a bit more of the other ingredients.
• How to make stuffed delicata squash ahead: If you'd like to prep ahead, you can prep the turkey and rice filling the day before, allow it to cool, then keep it in a bowl in the fridge. When ready to serve, simply season and roast the delicata squash (this is best made fresh), reheat the filling a bit while the squash roasts, then stuff the squash and serve as directed.

Craving more delicious and cozy fall squash recipes? Check out my recipe for Butternut Squash Casserole, Spaghetti Squash with Sautéed Veggies, Stuffed Acorn Squash, Butternut Squash Pizza, Spaghetti Squash Casserole, or even my recipe for Crispy Delicata Squash Rings!