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    Home » Recipes

    Acorn Squash with Ground Turkey

    by Patti Estep · Nov 21, 2024

    Jump to Recipe
    Acorn squash halves stuffed with ground turkey on a baking sheet.
    Four halves of acorn squash stuffed with ground turkey over the whole squashes.

    This acorn squash with ground turkey recipe is easy and healthy. Stuffed with ground turkey and pine nuts for a delicious fall dinner.

    Stuffed acorn squash half.

    I love the look of acorn squash and have often bought it for fall decor projects. Isn't the dark green color beautiful? However, I've never actually cooked with it before.

    Two green acorn squash

    They have such a cute shape and though I've seen them in white, I really love the deep green color.

    Acorn squash growing in compost

    Since I had been using them for decor, I would throw them in my compost pile after I was done with them. Imagine my surprise when I noticed some growing there last summer. 

    Acorn squash cut in half with seeds

    Making Stuffed Acorn Squash with Ground Turkey

    This recipe is all about roasting the acorn squash. You need to cut a little from the top and bottom to get them to sit flat on your baking pan.

    Acorn squash seeded and seasoned

    Remove the seeds and toss them in the compost. Maybe they will grow for you too. 

    Brush the squash with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

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    Roasted pine nuts in a pan

    For the filling, I decided to go with a Lebanese meat filling. This requires some roasted pine nuts. They add a great flavor to the dish.

    Acorn squash stuffed with turkey and pine nuts

    Normally I would use beef or lamb for this but I decided to try ground turkey for a lower fat option. You could also try plant based ground crumbles.

    Baked stuffed acorn squash

    I can't tell you how much I loved this dish. I'm smacking my head. Why have I not tried this before? Plus it's so pretty it would make a great dinner party dish.

    Stuffed acorn squash forkful

    It's definitely one I will make again. Now I'm thinking about other seasonal squash to try. I've made spaghetti squash, Delicata, butternut squash, and of course, summer squash.

    Maybe Hubbard, Buttercup, or Kabocha squash. Oh, the possibilities.

    Patti signature

    More Easy Stuffed Recipes

    • Stuffed Zucchini Recipe
    • Mexican Chicken Stuffed Peppers
    • Stuffed Meat Pie Pitas
    Stuffed acorn squash half.

    Stuffed Acorn Squash with Ground Turkey and Pine Nuts

    This stuffed acorn squash recipe is super easy and healthy. Stuffed with ground turkey and pine nuts for a delicious fall-inspired dinner.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 45 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
    Course Recipes
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4
    Calories 305 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 green acorn squash
    • 1 teaspoon olive oil
    • pinch of salt and pepper

    Filling

    • 1/2 pound ground turkey
    • 1/4 cup diced onion
    • 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
    • 1/4 cup sour cream
    • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 375 degrees
    • Cut a small amount of the tops and bottoms of the acorns so that they can sit flat on a baking sheet.
    • Cut each squash in half width-wise.
    • Scoop out seeds. Toss into compost or clean and roast for snacking.
    • Brush the insides and tops of the squash with olive oil.
    • Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
    • Roast pine nuts in a dry non-stick pan for 2 - 3 minutes tossing all the while. Remove and set aside.
    • In a large skillet saute onions.
    • Add turkey, cinnamon, salt, and pepper
    • Once the turkey is browned remove from heat and stir in the sour cream.
    • Portion the turkey mixture evenly into squash cavities. Top with pine nuts.
    • Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the squash is fork tender.
    • Remove and serve.

    Notes

    Adding cinnamon to meat is a Middle Eastern practice that I grew up on. I'm pretty sure this would still taste great without it.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 305kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 18gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 186mgPotassium: 1050mgFiber: 4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 900IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 93mgIron: 3mg

    Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although attempts have been made to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

    Tried this recipe?Tag @hearthnvine on Instagram
    Half of a acorn squash stuffed with ground turkey and topped with roasted pine nuts.
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    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Maria

      October 28, 2019 at 10:40 am

      Patti, made this last night and it was heavenly, thanks! I’ll be making it all winter. Because I don’t eat dairy, I separated some of the browned turkey and added a little homemade tomato sauce instead of sour cream and changed the spice to oregano. Both versions got the thumbs up!

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        October 28, 2019 at 1:49 pm

        Maria, I'm so glad you liked it! I really liked it too and just got back from the grocery store with two more acorn squash for dinner this week. Thanks for sharing your variation of tomato sauce and oregano. I think my husband would love that combination.

        Reply

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    Four halves of acorn squash stuffed with ground turkey over the whole squashes.
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    Acorn squash halves stuffed with ground turkey on a baking sheet.
    Four halves of acorn squash stuffed with ground turkey over the whole squashes.

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