Stuffed Acorn Squash with Herbed Turkey Hash

This is one of my go-to recipes for Autumn dinners and it is always a favorite in my house. The hash is also delicious for breakfast over a bed of sauteed greens and topped with a fried egg. Acorn squash is a wonderful seasonal vegetable that contains lots of beta-carotene, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and Magnesium.

Serves 2-4

• 1 acorn squash
• 1/2 lb ground turkey (I prefer dark meat for this recipe, but white meat is fine too)
• 1 small carrot, diced
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 Tbs coconut oil
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs dried sage
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried marjoram
• 1 tsp ground black pepper + small pinch for the squash
• 1/4 tsp salt + small pinch for the squash

Preheat oven to 375 F. Carefully split the squash in half length-wise with a sharp kitchen knife. Scoop out the seeds and discard or reserve for roasting (they are delicious and taste very similar to pumpkin seeds!). Place the two halves of the squash in a glass or ceramic baking dish, cut side down. Bake uncovered for 45-60 minutes or until the squash softens. Use a fork to test if it is done.

While the squash bakes, heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion, celery, and carrot for 5 minutes or until the vegetables soften. Stir occasionally to ensure even cooking and to prevent burning. Set the vegetables aside in a medium bowl and mix in the sage, thyme, marjoram, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 tsp of black pepper.

Using the same skillet you sauteed the vegetables in, cook the ground turkey. Break up large pieces and stir occasionally until the turkey is cooked through and no longer pink, approximately 4 to 6 minutes. Mix the cooked turkey into the vegetable mixture and set aside.

Once the acorn squash is cooked, remove from the oven. Turn them over and drizzle a small amount of olive oil over each half and then season with salt and black pepper. Fill each half with a portion of the turkey hash and return them to the oven to bake for 5 more minutes. Each half can easily feed two if served with other vegetables or another side dish.