from My Best Friend is a Butternut Squash
Inspired by Alex in our children’s book this week, this recipe is popular around our dinner table.
Ingredients
2 butternut squash, medium size
2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
1 Tbsp olive oil
450 g (16 oz) ground beef
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp salt or to taste
1 ½ cups (250 g) canned black beans rinsed and drained
1 ½ cups (250 g) corn kernels cooked, drained
4 oz (113 g) can mild chiles, diced
1 cup (200 g) cherry tomatoes sliced
6 green onions chopped
½ cup (100 g) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
½ cup (100 g) cheddar cheese, shredded
½ cup (100 g) sour cream
½ cup (100 g) guacamole
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Prepare the butternut squash. Slice each one in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and fleshy strands.
Place butternut squash cut sides up on a baking sheet. Drizzle the cut sides of butternut squashes with olive oil and rub the oil into the squash. Season generously with salt and pepper. Turn the squash over, and place it cut sides down on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper.
Roast in the preheated oven at 400 F for 30 or 40 minutes on the middle rack.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until completely cooked through. Drain any fat and liquid.
Add all the spices to the drained and cooked ground beef and mix to combine.
Add drained and rinsed black beans, corn, sliced cherry tomatoes, diced mild green chiles, and half of the chopped green onions to the same skillet and mix well to combine over medium heat.
Taste and season with more spices and salt, if needed.
Remove the squash from the oven and turn cooked squash halves cut sides up. Let it cool slightly.
Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh leaving about a 1-inch border along the sides. Add the scooped out flesh to the skillet with the ground beef mixture and mix to combine. Reheat.
Divide the ground beef mixture among the 4 halves and stuff the squash. Top the ground beef stuffed butternut squash with the cheeses.
Roast the stuffed butternut squash in the preheated oven at 400 F for 15 more minutes on medium rack until the cheese mixture melts.
Top with dollops of both sour cream and guacamole, and remaining half of the green onions.
Serves 4
Nada’s Tips & Tricks: Save some time by substituting the spices with a pack of taco seasoning. If you want the heat ramped up, add hot sauce to the meat mixture. You can use Tex Mex shredded cheese blend if it’s handy. I’ve used both Acorn and Spaghetti squash as well with this recipe.
Contents and images used with permission by Canadian Cookbooks.