Stuffed Squash with Mushroom Quinoa Filling
This hearty, stuffed squash filled with a savory mushroom quinoa mixture makes a cozy and satisfying meal - perfect for fall and winter.
We originally made this recipe using Honey Nut squash from Margo with Many Hands Gardens at the Rochester Farmers’s Market. It was our first time giving this variety a try, and it was SO sweet & tender. A butternut or acorn squash would work well here too - we’ve used butternut in the recipe, but feel free to use whatever winter squash you have on hand. Enjoy this recipe as a main dish or side to share at your festive gatherings this season!
Ingredients
4 medium butternut squashes, halved and seeds removed
1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. black pearl mushrooms, finely chopped
1 cup cooked ham steak, diced (optional)
Fresh or dried herbs to taste (we used parsley, thyme, and rosemary)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional but strongly encouraged!)
Instructions
Prepare the Butternut Squash:
Preheat oven to 400°F
Make sure you’ve halved your squash and removed the seeds. We like to also make a few stabs with a fork to help the squash steam while it bakes.
Place butternut squash halves cut-side up on a baking sheet. Lightly drizzle each half with some olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. You can add about a 1/4 cup of water to your baking pan if you’d like (this also helps steam the squash while it bakes)
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the squash is tender but still holds its shape.
Cook the Quinoa:
While the squash is baking, rinse quinoa under cold water.
In a medium saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Add quinoa, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Set aside.
Prepare the Mushrooms:
In a large skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat.
Add diced onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and a sprinkle of herbs and cook until fragrant.
Add black pearl mushrooms, cooking until softened and slightly crisped.
Stir in the diced ham (optional),remaining herbs, and cooked quinoa. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes on low to blend the flavors together.
Stuff the Squash:
Once the squash is mostly cooked (tender when you poke a fork into it), remove from oven and fill each half with the quinoa mixture.
Sprinkle each stuffed squash with Parmesan cheese.
Bake Again:
Return the stuffed squash to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until squash is fully tender and cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serve & Enjoy!:
Let the stuffed squash cool slightly, then serve warm. We enjoyed this with a side of fresh greens & microgreens from the farmers market and ate it up so fast we didn’t get a final picture! We’ll definitely be making this again.
P.S. leftovers from this dish can be reheated and enjoyed as they are OR you can also make this into a fantastic squash soup - that’s what we did!
Have you heard of black pearl mushrooms before?
We used black pearl mushrooms in this recipe (shown above & below). They really have a fantastic “meatiness” to them and hold their shape when they’re sauteed and added into a recipe - we love that they don’t get lost in the other tastes and textures of this dish in particular, which is why they are so tasty and versatile. They’re definitely a favorite on the farm right now. We’ll be carrying them all winter at the Rochester Farmer’s Market and at the Iowa Food Hub if you haven’t tried them yet!
