Stuffed Acorn Squash with Swiss Chard & White Beans

Autumn just screams winter squash! As the cool weather rolls in (again), I just want warm food. If you're not creative, then those warm choices become boring and repetitive. Lucky for me- lucky for you- we like to tap into our creative minds and produce tasty yummy-ness that swells our bellies to complete satisfaction!!

Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe:

Original Recipe for four and for two!

Serves 2

Cooking time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Preparation time: 30-45 minutes

(This recipe is WELL worth the effort and little extra time!!)

Ingredients:

1 medium acorn squash, halved and deseeded

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic

2-4 tbsp water

2 heaping tbsp tomato paste

1/2 bunch swiss chard chopped

1/2 can of white beans

1/4 chopped kalamata olives

feta cheese

Directions:

1. Cut acorn squash in half and deseed

2. Put in a glass dish and fill 1" deep with water

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until a fork goes through

4. Ten minutes before the squash is cooked, begin preparing the filling

5. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pan over medium heat

6. Add onion. Stir frequently. Cook 2-3 minutes or until onions begin to brown.

7. Add garlic. Stir and cook for about 1 minute. You should begin to smell the garlic fragrence.

8. Stir in tomato paste, salt and pepper, and water. Start with 2 tbsp water and add enough water until you get a liquid, smooth consistency of the tomato paste.

9. Stir in swiss chard. Cook for 3-5 minutes. The swiss chard will become soft and lose volume. Stir often.

10. Stir in white beans and olives. Cook until warm or 2-3 minutes. Stir often. Remove from heat.

11. Remove acorn squash from over. Turn broiler on.

12. Stuff winter squash. Sprinkle with feta cheese.

13. Broil for 1 minute.

14. Remove from oven. Let cool for a few minutes. Enjoy!!

Additional Comments: I did try this recipe with bread crumbs. (That is why you see them in the picture.) I, however, did not enjoy the breadcrumbs in this dish. Of note, I did not use panko breadcrumbs as the original recipe calls for; I used store bought regular bread crumbs. That very well could have simply been the problem. I did try this recipe again sans breadcrumbs (as above) and I thought it was delicious!! If you want to try breadcrumbs, I recommend against store bought ones. I might, in the future, try this recipe with homemade breadcrumbs. We'll see... Enjoy!