A savory filling of sautéed veggies and lamb stuffed into sweet, nutty acorn squash.
Buying funky produce from the farmers market with no plans for it is my toxic trait (just ask my husband). Such was the case with the “carnival” squash I picked up last winter. Although shaped like acorn squash, I couldn’t resist this hybrid variety because of its fanciful cream-colored skin speckled with green and orange.
The light-orange interior is sweet and nutty, much like an acorn squash, and perfectly suited for a savory filling, so it wasn’t actually that hard for me to figure out what to do with them.
After experimenting with different stuffing options, I found I liked it best with this mix of sautéed mushrooms, lamb, greens, aromatics, and lemon. I assemble the filling while the squash begins roasting, then assemble and pop them back in the oven to meld.
Parmesan cheese both in and on the the squash gives a touch of sharpness, while a topping of parsley and crispy fried onions adds brightness and crunch.
This filling combination should work just as well with acorn or sweet dumpling squash (the ones that constitute this hybrid), but I liked the carnivals so much that I saved some of the seeds, planted them in my garden, and grew more for this year.
More like this:
These mushroom and lamb stuffed acorn squash combine several of my favorite things to cook. And, as you might imagine, I have plenty more recipes with these elements. Check out my full collections of lamb recipes, winter squash recipes, and mushroom recipes.
Mushroom & Lamb Stuffed Acorn Squash
Equipment
- 1 sheet pan
- 1 large skillet
- 1 wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 1-2 lb acorn or carnival squash
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 tbsp rosemary chopped
- 8 oz ground lamb
- 4 oz cremini mushrooms chopped
- 3-4 leaves kale or chard stems removed and chopped
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese plus more for topping
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Parsley for topping
- Crispy fried onions or shallots for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Cut squash in half from top to bottom. Remove pulp and seeds.
- Place squash halves on a sheet pan cut-side up. Sprinkle with ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, and cumin. Drizzle with about 1 tbsp olive oil and rub onto the interior of the squash.
- Turn squash cut-side down on sheet pan and bake for 40 minutes.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot add onions, garlic, and rosemary and cook briefly until fragrant. Add ground lamb and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Remove to a bowl or plate.
- Add 1 tbsp olive oil to skillet, then add mushrooms, kale or chard, and a pinch of salt and pepper to skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes or until softening. Remove from heat.
- Return onion and lamb mixture to the pan. Add Parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Mix to combine.
- Fill squash halves with lamb mixture. Return to oven for 10-15 minutes or until squash is tender. Top with parsley leaves and crispy fried onions.
