Thanksgiving Squash Bowls

November 23, 2020

This year Thanksgiving is different for everyone, and many are taking the opportunity to change up long-standing traditional menus. With a smaller gathering comes the chance to serve the things that you love most. These individual stuffed acorn squash bowls are the perfect
combination of tasty and comforting – two things we need this year. Serve as an appetizer to start the meal or as a side dish to your turkey. Easily scale up or down depending on how many are at your table.

Thanksgiving Acorn Squash Bowls from Chef Brigitte Nguyen

Stuffed Acorn Squash Bowls
By Brigitte Nguyen
Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 acorn squash, cut in half and seeds removed
  • Olive oil for drizzling
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 2 ribs celery, diced
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 can (about 3/4 cup) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/3 cup golden raisins
  • 1/3 cup dried cranberries or currants
  • 1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 cups cooked couscous (we used a 5.8oz box of pine nut couscous, prepared according to package directions)
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cut acorn squash in half and remove seeds.  Drizzle the cut sides of the acorn squash with olive oil and season with salt an pepper.  Place cut side down in a large baking dish and bake until tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 15 – 20 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, heat the teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet and saute the celery and carrots until soft, about 5 minutes.  In a large bowl, stir together the garbanzo beans, raisins, cranberries and season with salt and pepper.  Once the acorn squash halves are cooked, brush the insides with maple syrup and mound the couscous mixture into the squash.  Place back in the oven for 8 – 10 minutes to bake and serve immediately.