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Home » Recipes » Autumn

Simple Turkey Stuffed Squash

Published: Nov 14, 2020 · Updated: May 16, 2023 by Carissa Erzen · This post may contain affiliate links · 27 Comments

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5 from 1 vote
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A Simple Turkey Stuffed Squash sliced in half on a plate.
Three baked acorn squashes on a white plate.
A hand holding a fork with squash and ground turkey on it.

Helloooo, November! Wow! Can you believe we are at the 11th hour and at the close of 2020? Did this year fly by for you? Or did it drag on forever like 7th grade math class?

However your year went so far, we are heading into a magical time of the year. Typically this would be the time that we host cookie exchanges, attend parties with friends and family we haven't seen in a while, and maybe even travel. But obviously 2020 is anything but your typical year.

Many of us this year will be gathering for the holidays in much smaller groups - maybe just your household of four, or maybe even just you and your faithful cat. I highly recommend this squash stuffed with turkey for a small holiday gathering. It literally tastes like Thanksgiving on a fork. It's so simple & is hands-down a (small) crowd pleaser.

Ingredients to make a Thanksgiving dinner laid out.
A spoon scooping seeds out of an acorn squash.

How to Make Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash

Didn't get enough pumpkin carving during Halloween? That's okay, because you can get your squash-carving fill here! 🙂

I sliced about ¼ inch off the bottoms of my acorn squash so they could stand on a flat base. If you're using small pumpkins with flat bottoms, you can skip this step. Then, just like a jack-o-lantern, cut off the top and scoop out the goopy innards!

Stuff them with a glorious mixture of the best parts of Thanksgiving dinner - savory turkey, sweet apples, tart cranberries, warm spices and fresh thyme.

Two squashes topped with butter in a baking dish.

The squash gets so soft and smooth, and it is the same texture as mashed potatoes. Everything together is major comfort food! Even though you might be missing hugs from friends and extended family during these cautious times, this squash stuffed with turkey for a small holiday gathering is like a hug in your belly! 😉

A baked Simple Turkey Stuffed Squash on a brown plate with thyme.

If you have any leftovers, refrigerate them in airtight containers. They are super delicious for the next few days after reheating them and adding extra fresh thyme on top.

Stuffed squash is pretty versatile too. You can substitute the quinoa for rice, if that's more your grain of choice. Leave out the turkey or replace it with lentils to make this a delicious vegetarian dish, and adjust the cooking time as necessary. A whole stuffed squash will happily feed one person, and a half of a stuffed squash makes a delicious side dish (that may just steal the show from the main course!)

If you make this dish, let me know how it turns out! It's great for the holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, or when you want a dairy-free, gluten-free meal prep for the week.

Enjoy!!

A bowl of apples next to two plates of Simple Turkey Stuffed Squash.

More Thanksgiving Recipes

  • Sheet Pan Roasted Root Vegetables
  • Apple Pie from Scratch
  • Vegan Gravy Recipe
  • Savory Sourdough Stuffing
  • Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
  • The Best Cornbread
  • No Bake Vegan Pumpkin Pie
  • Pumpkin Labneh Bread

Squash Stuffed with Turkey, Apple, Cranberries and Quinoa

Carissa Erzen
This squash stuffed with turkey is perfect for small gatherings this year during the autumn and winter holidays. All the flavors are reminiscent of the best parts of thanksgiving dinner, with a simple recipe and delicious leftovers (if you have any left!)
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Save Saved Recipe!
Prep Time 25 minutes mins
Cook Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Total Time 2 hours hrs 55 minutes mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people
Calories 613 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 medium acorn squash
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 large apples, diced into ¼ inch pieces (use sweeter varieties like Gala or Fuji)
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries
  • 1½ tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 to 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • thyme leaves, for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Cut off the tops of the squash and scoop out the seeds and pulp, like you are carving a jack-o-lantern pumpkin. If our squash doesn't stand up straight on its own, cut off a bit from the bottom, so they stand upright while they bake.
    Place the squashes in one or two casserole dishes (depending on the size of your dishes and if it can fit four squashes or just two.)
  • Preheat the oven to 325°F.
  • In a mixing bowl, make the filling by mixing together the ground turkey, quinoa or rice, apple pieces, dried cranberries, salt, cinnamon, paprika, and garlic cloves.
  • Pour a large spoonful of the filling into each squash. Pour about a tablespoon of the broth on top of the filling. Continue filling, alternative between the turkey filling and the broth, until you use about 1 cup of the broth and all of the filling.
    Place 1 tablespoon of butter on top of each squash. Place the tops back on the squash.
  • Bake for 1½ hours, then take them out and check if more broth is needed to keep everything moist.
    Bake for another 1 hour.
    Let them cool for at least 20 minutes, to allow all the flavors to meld together after coming out of the oven.
  • Garnish with a generous amount of thyme (at least 4 sprigs of leaves per squash). A whole squash will make a delicious main course, and a half squash will make a delectable side dish.
    Enjoy!!

Nutrition

Serving: 1stuffed squashCalories: 613kcalCarbohydrates: 87gProtein: 37gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 2927mgPotassium: 2151mgFiber: 11gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 2364IUVitamin C: 50mgCalcium: 186mgIron: 6mg
Keyword quinoa stuffed acorn squash, turkey stuffed acorn squash
Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment below and tag @humbly-homemade on social!

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About Carissa Erzen

Growing up in Germany, I fell head-over-heels in love with ALL the German baked goods, from Lebkuchen to pretzels. Now I'm the founder, recipe developer, and food photographer behind Humbly Homemade, where I test and share German sweets lovingly created from scratch. So pull up a chair, and stay a while!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Leif Price

    November 23, 2020 at 8:54 pm

    Looks delicious and flavourful! I will definitely give this a try! Thanks for sharing your recipe.

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      November 24, 2020 at 12:30 pm

      Thank you! Let me know how it turns out for you! I'm planning on making it again for my family this Thursday 🦃🙂

      Reply
  2. LaDonna Remy

    November 16, 2020 at 8:10 pm

    So festive and delicious sounding.

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      November 16, 2020 at 9:00 pm

      Thank you!! ☺️🦃🥧🍂

      Reply
  3. Chocoviv

    November 16, 2020 at 3:37 pm

    Looks great!

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      November 16, 2020 at 3:42 pm

      Thank you!! ☺️😊

      Reply
      • Chocoviv

        November 16, 2020 at 3:45 pm

        You're welcome 😊

        Reply
  4. infinitelyadaydreamer

    November 16, 2020 at 3:18 pm

    This is quite the twist on you average, run of the mill turkey dinner! This looks delicious and so flavourful x

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      November 16, 2020 at 3:40 pm

      Lol thank you!! 🥰 Does Australia celebrate any holidays in November? Or any holidays with turkey? 😁

      Reply
  5. iammrsshecky

    November 15, 2020 at 12:56 pm

    Now, those look delicious!!

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      November 15, 2020 at 1:31 pm

      Thank you!! I ate them throughout the whole week and even by day four I was so happy to be eating it 😋☺️

      Reply
  6. Azilde Elizabeth

    November 15, 2020 at 12:49 pm

    I want this dish now! So fancy looking and delicious 😋

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      November 15, 2020 at 1:30 pm

      Hehe thank you!! These are super simple to make, I hope you get to give it a try! ☺️

      Reply
      • Azilde Elizabeth

        November 15, 2020 at 1:55 pm

        I definitely want to make this. Thanks for sharing 😊

        Reply
        • strawberryandcream

          November 15, 2020 at 3:20 pm

          Of course! 🥰 Let me know how yours turns out! 😀

          Reply
          • Azilde Elizabeth

            November 15, 2020 at 4:57 pm

            Will do! Thank you ❤️

            Reply
  7. Markus + Micah

    November 15, 2020 at 5:43 am

    Love the burnished look. It could be on Harry Potter actually. It has that magical appeal. And I never experienced a cookie exchange. Must take note.

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      November 15, 2020 at 8:08 am

      Wow thank you!! A banquet dinner in the Great Hall at Hogwarts would be the ultimate dream come true 😭 lol
      And cookie exchanges are super fun because you get to try out everyone else's favorite cookies of all sorts of varieties and flavors! 🍪☺️

      Reply
  8. Yum-number1

    November 14, 2020 at 10:11 pm

    Seems like your posts are always a solution to a problem 😁 this is extremely helpful and looks yummy! Thank you so much for sharing this ❤️❤️

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      November 14, 2020 at 10:15 pm

      Thank you! ☺️ I figured if I'm struggling with what to make for the holidays during this crazy year, other people might be too 😝 Let me know if you try it!! 😋

      Reply
      • Yum-number1

        November 14, 2020 at 10:30 pm

        Yes I'll try it with my faithful cat 😂

        Reply
  9. strawberryandcream

    November 14, 2020 at 10:03 pm

    Thank you!! ❤️ It's got all the holiday flavor but way less work 😉 What are your plans for holiday meals this year? 😀

    Reply
  10. popsiclesociety

    November 14, 2020 at 10:00 pm

    What a beautiful idea! And it looks so great 😃😋

    Reply
  11. Happy Panda

    November 14, 2020 at 9:58 pm

    That looks amazing - such a great idea keeping in mind the smaller holiday gatherings this year!!

    Reply
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