Acorn Squash With Bacon Apple And Swiss Recipes

SAUSAGE STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• Bake the squash: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. With a sharp, sturdy chef's knife, carefully cut the squash in half from stem to base. Scoop out and discard the stringy core and seeds. Arrange the halves cut-sides up on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush each half with 1 teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, until the edges begin to wrinkle and the flesh is fork-tender. Set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
• While the squash bakes, prepare the filling: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage. Brown the meat, breaking it apart into small pieces for 3 minutes.
• Add the mushrooms, onion, apple, salt, pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and minced garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sausage is cooked through, the vegetables and apple are softened, have given up liquid, and the liquid has cooked off, about 8 additional minutes.
• When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out its flesh, leaving a wall all the way around that is about ¼-inch thick. Add the scooped squash to the pan with the sausage. Add the herbs and ¼ cup Parmesan. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired.
• Mound the filling inside of the hollowed squash halves. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the top. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the filling is nice and hot, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with additional fresh herbs as desired. Serve hot.

ACORN SQUASH WITH APPLE

Steps:

• To easily peel the acorn squash without losing a lot of vegetable, gently drop the squash in a large pot of boiling water, and boil for 15 minutes. Pour off the boiling water and fill with cold water and let sit 5 minutes to cool. When cool enough to handle, use a knife to slice off the peel on the ridges and use a teaspoon to dig out the peel in the valleys. Slice the squash in half and remove the seeds and stem. Then slice the halves into sections and finally cut into 1 inch chunks.
• Place the squash chunks into a large microwave-safe bowl along with the apples. Dot with pieces of butter. Sprinkle the brown sugar, walnuts, salt and cinnamon over the top. Cover with plastic wrap, and poke a few holes in it for ventilation.
• Cook in the microwave for 7 1/2 minutes on full power. Remove, uncover, and stir. Return to the microwave, and cook for another 7 1/2 minutes on full power, until tender. Serve hot.

PERFECT ROASTED ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
• To prepare the squash, use a sharp chef's knife to slice through it from the tip to the stem. I find it easiest to pierce the squash in the center along a depression line, then cut through the tip, and finish by slicing through the top portion just next to the stem. Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy bits inside, and discard those pieces.
• Place the squash halves cut side up on the parchment-lined pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the squash, and sprinkle with the salt. Rub the oil into the cut sides of the squash, then turn them over so the cut sides are against the pan.
• Bake until the squash flesh is very easily pierced through by a fork, about 30 to 45 minutes depending on the size of your squash. Add any desired toppings, and serve warm.

ACORN SQUASH WITH BACON, APPLE AND SWISS

Steps:

• Halve squash.
• Remove seeds and pulp.
• Place squash, cut side down, in a shallow baking dish.
• Add water.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
• In a medium saute or sauce pan over medium heat, cook bacon until some fat is rendered (3 min).
• Add onion and saute/sweat for 3 minutes-ish.
• Add sage, rosemary,thyme, and pepper (or anything else you'd like).
• Add apple and saute/sweat for 2 minutes-ish.
• Add garlic and saute/sweat for 2 minutes-ish.
• Drain if needed.
• Stir in stuffing mix and water.
• Once stuffing mix is moist, stir in cheese.
• Spoon stuffing into prepared squash.
• Cover with loosely with foil.
• Bake about 20 minutes more.
• I removed foil; topped with optional topping (below) and baked for last five minutes.
• Optional topping:.
• Mix bread crumbs and olive oil.
• Mix in parsley and green onions.

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH WITH APPLES AND CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place squash into a large pot of boiling water; boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer squash to a large bowl of ice cold water and set aside until cool enough to handle, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Peel squash along the ridges using a vegetable peeler, then use a teaspoon or grapefruit spoon to dig out peel in the valleys of the squash. Slice squash in half and remove seeds and stem. Cut remaining squash into bite-sized chunks.
• Combine squash, apples, celery, onion, and dried cranberries in a large bowl.
• Combine brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Add to squash mixture and toss well to combine. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish. Add water and dot the top with butter. Sprinkle with walnuts.
• Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until squash is fork-tender, about 1 hour. Add some liquid halfway through to prevent drying out, if necessary. Serve hot.

ACORN SQUASH WITH BACON

Steps:

• I like to buy the squash a month or two ahead of time to let it ripen, so that the squash turns yellow all the way around, not just on the bottom. That is when they are ripe. But if you didn't, don't let it stop you from making this recipe !
• Cut squash in 1/2 with the grooves.
• Remove the pulp with the seeds, and cut thin slice off back half, so the half lays steady-flat with out tipping, but try do not cut through the center.
• Place squash in greased oven proof pan.
• Place butter around edges of squash, and some in center, of each half.
• You will use 1 tablespoon for each half, more or less. This depends on how buttery you want it.
• Sprinkle with cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste, and then place bacon around edges of squash.
• Cover entire dish with foil, bake at 350 degrees, 45 minutes, or until done.
• To test for doneness, be careful when removing foil,steam will come out, fork test squash for tenderness, when done it will be soft all the way through, to skin.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH APPLES AND BACON

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place squash in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil; mix to coat; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread squash into a single layer on a baking pan. Roast the squash in the preheated oven, turning once, until fork-tender and caramelized; 30 to 40 minutes.
• Place the bacon in a Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon slices to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the drippings in the pan.
• Place the onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf, curry powder, thyme, and salt and pepper in the Dutch oven; cook in reserved bacon drippings until the carrots and celery are soft. Mix in the apples and cooked squash and cook another 5 minutes. Stir the garlic into the mixture and cook another 1 minute. Pour the apple cider over the mixture; reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer; allow to reduce to about half its original volume. Stir in the chicken stock; simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes.
• Puree the soup in small batches in a blender, or use an immersion blender. If using a blender, don't fill the blender more than half-way. Always remove the center lid piece of a stand blender when blending hot liquids so the steam can escape. Cover the hole with a dish towel while blending. Stir the nutmeg into the soup. Garnish each bowl with 1 tablespoon of sour cream and some of the bacon pieces to serve.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH APPLES, BACON, AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Cut squash lengthwise in half; remove and discard seeds. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Place squash in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan, cut sides down. Bake until easily pierced with a fork, 35-45 minutes., In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Discard drippings., Add green onions, 2 tablespoons butter, garlic and pepper flakes; cook and stir over medium heat until tender, 2-3 minutes. Stir in apples, cider, syrup, salt, pepper and remaining cumin. Bring to a boil; cook until slightly thickened, 4-6 minutes., When squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to separate strands. Add squash to skillet; cook until liquid is absorbed, 2-3 minutes. Stir in bacon, walnuts and parsley.