Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Wild Rice

Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Wild Rice. This satisfying meatless dish combines tender roasted squash with wild rice, mushrooms, kale, cranberries and pecans.

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An edible bowl with a real filling

Roasted acorn squash turns soft and sweet around a savory filling of whole wild rice and browned mushrooms. Kale gives the mixture green depth, a small amount of dried cranberry gives tart contrast, and chopped pecans add crunch. One stuffed half makes a generous serving, not a scoop of rice beside an empty squash.

Acorn squash cavities differ widely, whole wild rice takes longer to simmer than quick-cooking blends, and some filling may be left over. Serve any extra filling alongside the squash. Cooking the rice and squash at the same time keeps the total preparation efficient.

Select the grain and squash deliberately

The recipe calls for three-quarter cup dry whole wild rice, not a branded quick-cooking blend. Simmer in two-and-a-quarter cups water and drain if grains open before all liquid is absorbed; follow the package if it specifies a different ratio. Measure the rice dry, then use the cooked amount in the filling. If using a blend, follow its cooking time and liquid directions.

Choose two medium squash that sit steadily when halved; trim a tiny patch from a rounded underside only if necessary, without cutting through the cavity. Roast cut-side down with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. The edible interior should be fork-tender before filling is added, because the final oven visit is only to heat the mixture.

Brown mushrooms until their liquid cooks off, wilt stemmed kale and fold in cranberries and toasted pecans at the end. Pecans are a tree-nut allergen. Dried cranberry brands can vary in sugar and cross-contact, so neither the nutrition nor broad dietary labels can be assumed.

Ingredients for 4 half-squash portions

Step-by-step method

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Halve 2 medium acorn squash, remove seeds and rub cut faces with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp fine salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Set cut side down on a lined sheet and roast about 35–45 minutes until fork-tender.
2. Meanwhile rinse 3/4 cup whole wild rice. Simmer covered in 2 1/4 cups water about 45–50 minutes until grains open and are tender; drain excess water. Follow the package if it specifies a different liquid ratio.
3. Heat remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet. Cook 8 oz chopped mushrooms and 1 chopped shallot about 8–10 minutes until browned and moisture evaporates. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and 2 cups chopped kale for the final 2–3 minutes until kale wilts. Mix with drained rice, 1/3 cup dried cranberries, 1/3 cup toasted chopped pecans, 1 tsp chopped rosemary and remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
4. Turn squash cut side up, mound filling into four cavities and return to oven about 10 minutes until heated through. Rest about 10 minutes before serving one filled half per person. Serve any extra filling alongside.

Two pans and one final assembly

Start the oven and the wild-rice pot early. The rice may take around forty-five to fifty minutes; the squash may need thirty-five to forty-five depending on thickness. Meanwhile, cook mushrooms and shallot in the other tablespoon of olive oil, adding garlic and kale once the mushroom pan is no longer watery.

Mix the drained rice with vegetables, one-third cup dried cranberries, one-third cup toasted pecans, rosemary and the remaining seasoning. Taste the cooked filling before adjusting the final salt. Turn tender squash halves right side up and mound the mixture into them.

Bake the filled halves for about ten more minutes to heat through, then let them stand ten minutes so a guest can eat without handling a scorching shell. If the squash is still hard before filling, extend the initial roast; do not expect the final ten minutes to finish a thick raw half.

If the filling misses the mark

Hard wild rice needs more covered simmering, not an extra splash of oil in the skillet. Drain any excess liquid before stuffing so the cavity does not become soupy. Rice blends can cook much faster than whole wild rice and may not hold the same chew.

A mound that falls out of the squash may indicate the cavity is small. Spoon in a modest amount and serve any extra alongside rather than forcing it into the cavity. A damp mushroom mixture should be sautéed a bit longer before it joins the grain.

Burned pecans or shriveled cranberries can result from a long final oven interval. The filling is cooked before stuffing; ten minutes is intended for warming, not another full roast.

A dinner-table role

Serve it as a meatless main or a generous holiday side. The base contains no meat or dairy, but check packaged ingredients and cross-contact information when cooking for guests with dietary restrictions. Chefly's sautéed green beans with garlic make a simple vegetable side for a larger table.

Cool leftovers promptly, refrigerate them in a covered container and reheat thoroughly. For the best texture, warm the squash and filling together until the center is hot.

Questions about the halves

Do I peel acorn squash?

No peeling is needed for this serving format; roast the hollow halves and eat the tender flesh from the shell.

Can I use a wild-rice blend?

Only after following that product’s liquid and time instructions and checking the cooked yield. This recipe uses whole wild rice.

Can I omit pecans?

The texture will change. Pumpkin seeds can provide crunch, but check all packaged ingredients when adapting the recipe for an allergy.

Further reading and related Chefly recipes: Love and Lemons' stuffed acorn squash; Chefly sautéed green beans with garlic.