Thursday, August 2

Mexican Style Stuffed Acorn Squash 4 Two

Ingredients*: 
1 halved Acorn squash  with the seeds taken out
8 oz of lean ground turkey
2 tbs of taco seasoning homemade from a seasoning packet (adjust to your taste)
handful of chopped cilantro
1 sliced avocado
favorite salsa ( I used a sugar free homemade salsa)
approx 1/2 TBS -1 TBS butter non salted (can sub olive oil)
Salt & Pepper

Method:
1. Preheat the oven for 400 degrees

2. Bake squash (cut side up) in a casserole dish with an inch or so of water (It is going to look like you are giving the squash a bath)

3. Bake for 30 minutes

4. Pull the squash out of the oven, and put butter in each halve. Return it to the oven for 25-35 minutes until tender.

5. While the squash finishes up in the oven cook over medium the lean ground turkey once the pink is gone add your taco seasoning of choice and let it simmer with 1/4 cup of water to let the flavorings blend with the meat until all the water is gone and meat is brown and cooked throughout.

6. While squash is cooling add salt and pepper to butter mixture in the hole of each squash (I had to remove some butter from one of mine because it was too much)

7. For my son I removed his squash flesh from the peel using a fork into a small bowl and then finished it off exactly like mine. On top of the butter, salt, and pepper mixture, I layered the taco seasoned meat, then salsa, then sliced avocado, and last but not least chopped, fresh, flavorful, green cilantro.




*Other Possible Items that would work well in this dish: any type of cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, or pepper-jack), fresh or canned tomatoes, corn, green onion, white onion, red onion, red or green bell peppers, green chilies, chili pepper of any kind for heat.... ect.





 The squash is sweet but it really is an artist's blank page with the possibilities are almost endless.