Brown Rice and Beef Stuffed Acorn Squash

Since beginning this food blog, I've felt so much pressure to create new and interesting recipes instead of the oldies, yet goodies, that I have been cooking for my family for years. I don't know why, the pressure only comes from me. I guess that's what you get when you are a paranoid perfectionist! I had to laugh at myself the other day. I had not just one, but two major kitchen failures in an attempt to be "creative". In the morning I roasted some baking potatoes hoping to make an olive oil based potato salad. Epic disaster! Blah, it was the worst tasting concoction I could have ever created. That went down the drain.

Later for dinner I thought up a "unique" side dish of bacon and ranch roasted green beans. Haha! "Unique" it was! By the time I took them out of the oven, they were sadly limp and the grossest color of green you had ever seen. Those went in the trash...although, I may try a different method of cooking those next time. The flavor combo still sounds good to me.

Nonetheless, when Ben asked what was for dinner tonight and I told him "something new", there was no look of excitement in his eyes. But alas, dedication and determination do eventually pay off because tonight a masterpiece was born! Oh, it tasted so delicious. There was just the right depth of flavor and contrast of texture to make any mouth happy. These stuffed acorn squashes will definitely be added to our dinner rotation. On a side note: Ben's faith in my culinary skills has been reignited.

Brown Rice and Beef Stuffed Acorn Squash

 

Ingredients:

3 large or 4 medium sized acorn squashes

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (I cooked mine in beef broth for more flavor)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped carrot

1 lb. lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup tightly packed spinach, chopped

1/4 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon basil

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

1 can cream of mushroom soup (I used 98% fat free)

1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

1/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon melted butter

1/4 cup bread crumbs

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds and strings from the middle. Lay flesh side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle each with olive oil and generously salt and pepper. Bake in oven for 45 minutes until flesh is tender when pierced with fork.

 

 

2. While squash is baking begin making filling by cooking rice (I used instant brown rice) according to package directions and chopping vegetables. Set cooked rice and chopped vegetables aside. In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat.

 

 

4. Add onions and carrots to saucepan and cook for 3-5 minutes until onions are tender. Add beef, garlic and mushrooms. Cook until beef is no longer pink (3-5 minutes). Add spinach, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Continue cooking until spinach is wilted. Drain any excess fat and return to stove top, reducing heat to low.

 

 

5. Add soup, sour cream, water and rice to saucepan and heat through. Taste mixture and add salt and pepper as desired. Keep on low heat until squash is ready to be taken out of the oven.

 

 

6. Fill each center of acorn squash with beef and rice mixture, evenly distributing among all squashes. Top each with shredded mozzarella cheese. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and mix into bread crumbs. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top of cheese.

 

 

7. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and return squash to oven for 5 minutes until heated through and bread crumbs are browning. Dig in, way in, and enjoy!