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a few stuffed honeynut squash on white plate
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5 from 6 votes

Stuffed Honeynut Squash Recipe

Honeynut Squash Recipe with Sweet and Savory Stuffing is one of the prettiest, most unique and delicious Thanksgiving side dish recipes. Really, it's lovely for any meal during the fall.
*Please take a minute to read through the instructions before you begin cooking -- you should make the stuffing while the squash is roasting.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fall comfort food recipes, gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes, Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Servings: 6
Calories: 205kcal

Ingredients

  • 6 (approximately ½ pound each) Honeynut squash
  • olive oil for the pan and for drizzling
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar, divided
  • 3 strips bacon
  • 2 cups yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries (frozen and thawed is okay)
  • cups fresh spinach leaves washed and dried, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons Roquefort cheese, crumbled
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven and prepare the pan. Preheat the oven to 425°F and adjust a rack to the center. Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Prepare the squash. Wash and dry the squash, and then cut them in half, lengthwise. Remove the seeds and any stringy membranes with a spoon, and place them, round side down on the parchment-lined sheet pan. Drizzle the squash generously with olive oil and then sprinkle them lightly with salt and pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar. Turn them over, round side up, on the sheet pan.
  • Roast the squash. Roast in the preheated 425°F oven until the thickest portion of the squash is very tender, about 30 minutes. (A fork should slide in and out very easily.) Remove the sheet pan from the oven, set aside, and turn the heat down to 375°F.
  • Cook the bacon. While the squash is roasting, place the bacon in a large sauté over medium heat. Cook until it's golden and crispy, a few minutes per side. Set it aside on a double layer of paper towels to drain.
  • Make the filling. Add the onions and garlic to the pan. (If there isn't a thin layer of bacon grease in the pan, add a bit of olive oil.) Sauté, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and golden, about 15 minutes. Add the nutmeg, cloves, cayenne and cranberries. Turn the heat to medium-low, and cook until the cranberries are soft and broken into small pieces, about 15 minutes. (If the cranberries are soft but not broken, you can help them along with a fork.) Add the spinach and cook until it's wilted, about 2 minutes. Crumble the bacon into tiny pieces and add it to the sauté pan. Stir and then season to taste with salt and pepper, and add the remaining 2 teaspoons of brown sugar. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
  • Fill the squash. Turn the squash halves over, so the opening is facing up, and evenly divide the mixture among them, filling each one as much as possible. Now use your fingers to break the Roquefort into tiny pieces, and evenly distribute it on top of each one.
  • Bake. Place the sheet pan in the preheated 375°F oven and heat just to melt the cheese and bring the flavors together, about 6 minutes. Serve!

Notes

Calorie count is only an estimate.

Nutrition

Calories: 205kcal