One of my Mom's classic winter dishes has always been Butternut Squash Soup. Of course, my appreciation for it came later in my teens... because anything involving vegetables when you're a kid loses its appeal immediately. Now, however- she makes it for me almost every time I get to come home because she knows it's my favorite.
In the last few years, she discovered a different kind of squash that I had never heard of before: Acorn Squash. Honestly, as much as Butternut makes a delicious soup, Acorn squash has surpassed it in my mind as a side dish. It's easier to cut, you don't have to peel it, and it has an unexpected sweetness to it.
Tonight I decided to try make up a gourmet stuffed acorn squash dish with what I had in my fridge.
First, I microwaved both halves of the acorn squash for 10 minutes. Once they were soft on the inside, I used a fork to gently scoop out some of the middle and put it on the side with some feta cheese.
I then stuffed both halves of the squash with grilled artichoke hearts and chicken, feta cheese, and roasted pecans. It turned out like this...
Acorn Squash Stuffed with Grilled Chicken, Artichoke Hearts, Feta Cheese, and Roasted Pecans
Final Note about Acorn Squash: My mom tried it instead of butternut last week in her soup out of curiosity. She made Acorn Squash and Mango soup-which, she informed me- was out of this world. Next time I go home she can make me some and hopefully I can share the recipe.
