Not only is this stuffed acorn squash an absolute stunner (hello, beautiful fall dinner!), it’s also incredibly delicious. Sweet, nutty acorn squash is stuffed with rich caramelized onions, tender, fall-apart shredded beef, and tart cranberries, and then topped with a tasty garlicky Greek yogurt sauce – it’s a recipe that you’ll keep coming back to all season long!
Table of Contents
This recipe is…
Stuffed acorn squash: caramelized onions, tender shredded beef, and tart cranberries, all stuffed into slightly sweet, nutty, silky smooth acorn squash, and topped with a tasty Greek yogurt sauce. It’s absolutely delicious and will 100% be loved by all who try it!
Because there are a handful of lengthy components that need to be prepped in order to actually get to the squash stuffing part of the recipe, this stuffed acorn squash recipe is also an ideal recipe to meal prep (if not the entire dish, you can certainly prep a couple of components in advance to make night-of cooking super simple – see meal prep tips below!).
If you’re looking for more squash recipes, we’ve got a handful of absolutely delicious ones! This butternut squash lasagna is delicious and very fall-festive, this stuffed butternut squash is stuffed with crispy Italian sausage, and topped with pomegranates and a yummy citrus sauce, and this butternut squash pasta bake is loaded with goat cheese, Italian sausage, and crispy sage leaves for a creamy, decadent fall pasta dish that the entire family will love!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s meal prep-able – this recipe may seem lengthy at first glance, but we have ways that you can prep in advance and lighten the load for yourself the night-of. More on that in the tip section below!
- It’s incredibly delicious – in my mind, nothing beats tender shredded beef and rich caramelized onions. Add nutty acorn squash, tart cranberries, and a garlicky yogurt sauce, and you’ve reached the next level as far as fall dinners go!
- It’s fancy enough for a special occasion, but simple enough for a weeknight dinner – this recipe is a total crowd-pleaser and fancy enough for any get together you have this fall. That said, because the components are easily meal prepped, it’s also perfect for a weeknight dinner!
Recipe Ingredients for Stuffed Acorn Squash
You’ll need a handful of ingredients for this recipe, all easily accessible at your local grocery store. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Cranberries – feel free to go fresh or frozen when it comes to the cranberries in this recipe! Both work great.
- Greek yogurt – we used a plain, full-fat Greek yogurt for this recipe, but any plain yogurt you love will work great.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Make it dairy-free – to make the sauce dairy-free, simply caramelize the onions in olive oil (vs. butter), and swap the yogurt in the yogurt sauce for either your favorite plain dairy-free yogurt or mayo.
- Make it grain-free – this recipe is grain-free as-is!
- Make it gluten-free – same as above: this recipe is gluten-free as written.
How to Make Stuffed Acorn Squash
While the steps in this recipe are lengthy, rest assured that they’re super easy and require very little hands-on time. Follow along below for the full how-to.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325°F, and season the roast with 1 teaspoon of salt. Place the ghee (or olive oil) in a heavy-bottomed or enameled cast iron pot over high heat. Once hot, sear the roast on one side for 4 minutes, then flip it over and remove the pot from the heat. Pour the broth into the pot until it reaches halfway up the roast, then place the lid on the pot, and bake for 3 hours.
Step 2: While the roast is in the oven, place the squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet or in a casserole dish, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes (at the same time as the roast).
Step 3: While the roast and acorn squash are in the oven, caramelize the onions. Add the butter to a heavy-bottomed pot over low heat, and once melted, add the sliced onions and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine, then place a lid on top, and let the onions wilt for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take the lid off the skillet and toss the onions in the butter. Turn the heat up to medium-low, and let the onions continue to caramelize, uncovered, for 45 minutes, scraping the pan and stirring the onions occasionally.
Step 4: Once the roast is finished, use two forks to shred it. Then, put the shredded beef, caramelized onions, cranberries, the final teaspoon of salt, and pepper in a large bowl and toss to combine. Stuff equal portions of the beef mixture into the squash halves. Raise the oven temperature to 375°F.
Step 5: If the acorn squash is still warm when you stuff it, bake for 10 minutes, until the beef is slightly browned the and stuffing is fully warmed through. If the acorn squash is cool when you stuff it, tent the stuffed squash with aluminum foil, and bake it for 25 minutes, until both the squash and stuffing are warmed through.
Step 6: While the stuffed squash is in the oven, make the sauce by whisking or blending together the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, grated garlic, salt, and thyme.
Step 7: Pour the sauce over the stuffed squash, sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves, if using, and serve!
Make-Ahead Tips
As mentioned above, this recipe is incredibly meal prep-friendly! By prepping the components below ahead of time, you’ll cut your kitchen time on the night-of by over 3 hours. Here’s how to prep:
- Make the roast – if you’ve got time over the weekend, throw the roast into the oven and let it cook while you do your at-home weekend things! When it’s done, shred it and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Caramelize the onions – similar to the roast, if you’ve got time to let the onions caramelize (very little actual hands-on time, but you’ll need to be in the house, of course) over the weekend, go for it! Once they’re done, store them in a jar or airtight container for up to a week.
- Pre-roast the acorn squash – go ahead and stick the halved acorn squash into the oven while the roast cooks. When it’s done, either cover the sheet pan with foil (and use the exact same pan for heating the stuffed squash on the night-of) or transfer the squash to an airtight container or bag, and store in the fridge for up to a week.
- Make the sauce – though this isn’t a HUGE time saver, it can still be helpful! Simply whisk together the ingredients and store them in a jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Prepping these components means that on the night you plan on enjoying the meal, you’ll just need to combine the shredded beef, caramelized onions, and cranberries into a bowl, stuff the squash, and then bake everything until warmed through – easy as can be!
How to Serve
Serve the stuffed squash all on its own for a complete, delicious, and balanced meal, or, if you’d like to add a green veggie, alongside this simple arugula salad.
How to Store
Store any leftover stuffed squash in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you meal prepped the ingredients ahead of time (detailed instructions above), keep in mind that since they were cooked day(s) in advance, you’ll want to take that time into account when it comes to saving your leftovers (for example, if you cooked the beef on Sunday and enjoyed the stuffed squash on Tuesday, you’ll want to make sure you eat the leftovers by Thursday).
Reheat the stuffed squash either in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or in a 350°F oven for 12-15 minutes, until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
While acorn squash has more fiber and potassium than butternut squash, butternut squash wins in the vitamin A department. Honestly, they’re both incredibly nutritious!
You can definitely eat the skin of an acorn squash – it actually provides a lot of fiber! If you decide to go this route, just be sure to scrub the outside of the acorn squash really well before roasting to get off any dirt or debris.
Acorn squash is a starchy veggie (similar to butternut squash and sweet potatoes), so it’s definitely higher in carbohydrates than non-starchy veggies like broccoli, green beans, or spinach.
More Favorite Squash Recipes
If you tried this Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
For the Stuffed Squash
- 3 tablespoons ghee or olive oil
- 3 pound chuck roast
- 1 tablespoon salt, divided
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 acorn squash, cut in half
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter
- 2 pounds yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped, for garnish, optional
For the Greek Yogurt Sauce
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (the juice from about 1 lemon)
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and season the roast with 1 teaspoon of salt. Place the ghee (or olive oil) in a heavy-bottomed or enameled cast iron pot over high heat. Once hot, sear the roast on one side for 4 minutes, then flip it over and remove the pot from the heat. Pour the broth into the pot until it reaches halfway up the roast, then place the lid on the pot, and bake for 3 hours.
- While the roast is in the oven, place the squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet or in a casserole dish, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes (at the same time as the roast).
- While the roast and acorn squash are in the oven, caramelize the onions. Add the butter to a heavy-bottomed pot over low heat, and once melted, add the sliced onions and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine, then place a lid on top, and let the onions wilt for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take the lid off the skillet and toss the onions in the butter. Turn the heat up to medium-low, and let the onions continue to caramelize, uncovered, for 45 minutes, scraping the pan and stirring the onions occasionally.
- Once the roast is finished, use two forks to shred it. Then, put the shredded beef, caramelized onions, cranberries, the final teaspoon of salt, and pepper in a large bowl and toss to combine. Stuff equal portions of the beef mixture into the squash halves. Raise the oven temperature to 375°F.
- If the acorn squash is still warm when you stuff it, bake for 10 minutes, until the beef is slightly browned the and stuffing is fully warmed through. If the acorn squash is cool when you stuff it, tent the stuffed squash with aluminum foil, and bake it for 25 minutes, until both the squash and stuffing are warmed through.
- While the stuffed squash is in the oven, make the sauce by whisking or blending together the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, grated garlic, salt, and thyme.
- Pour the sauce over the stuffed squash, sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves, if using, and serve!
Recipe Notes
- Make it dairy-free – to make the sauce dairy-free, simply caramelize the onions in olive oil (vs. butter), and swap the yogurt in the yogurt sauce for either your favorite plain dairy-free yogurt or mayo.
- Make it grain-free – this recipe is grain-free as-is!
- Make it gluten-free – same as above: this recipe is gluten-free as written.
- Make the roast – if you’ve got time over the weekend, throw the roast into the oven and let it cook while you do your at-home weekend things! When it’s done, shred it and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Caramelize the onions – similar to the roast, if you’ve got time to let the onions caramelize (very little actual hands-on time, but you’ll need to be in the house, of course) over the weekend, go for it! Once they’re done, store them in a jar or airtight container for up to a week.
- Pre-roast the acorn squash – go ahead and stick the halved acorn squash into the oven while the roast cooks. When it’s done, either cover the sheet pan with foil (and use the exact same pan for heating the stuffed squash on the night-of) or transfer the squash to an airtight container or bag, and store in the fridge for up to a week.
- Make the sauce – though this isn’t a HUGE time saver, it can still be helpful! Simply whisk together the ingredients and store them in a jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Nutrition
