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    Make It Skinny Please » Recipes » Main Dishes » Stuffed Acorn Squash with Quinoa and Lentils

    Published: Nov 21, 2021 · Modified: Nov 20, 2021 by Toni Dash · 11 Comments

    Stuffed Acorn Squash with Quinoa and Lentils

    Weight Watchers Points5
    Calories: 238kcal
    Carbs: 51g
    Protein: 9g
    Fats: 2g
    Jump to Recipe

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    stuffed acorn squash title overlay

    This Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe is a filling main dish perfect anytime and for a vegetarian Thanksgiving. It's a colorful dish full of exciting flavors that's hearty and satisfying. Ready in about 30 minutes.

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    The delicious flavors in this stuffed squash make it a fall favorite. The creamy squash adds a hearty texture to the light stuffing. It's very filling and packed with great nutrition.

    If you don't think you are a winter squash lover, try this. Acorn squash has a very mild flavor and the stuffing inside of the squash blends to make it a new favorite! Great for a cold weather time of year main dish or a new option for a holiday meal.

    The mix of protein-rich cooked grain, lentils, and vegetables make it a complete meal. A side green salad is all you'd need.

    Jump to:
    • What makes it skinny?
    • Recipe Ingredient Notes
    • How to cut an acorn squash
    • How to make Stuffed Acorn Squash - Step-by-Step
    • Variations
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • How to Store
    • WW Personal Points
    • More recipes you'll love!
    • Recipe

    What makes it skinny?

    • No oil used. Only olive oil spray.
    • Lean plant-based protein from the lentils and quinoa

    Recipe Ingredient Notes

    stuffed acorn squash labelled ingredients

    Acorn squash. You'll need one squash halved for two servings. Scrape out the seeds and membrane.

    Lentils. Use prepared lentils either canned or home cooked. If making them yourself use green or brown lentils which do not disintegrate when cooked (like red lentils do).

    Quinoa. Start with ½ cup prepared quinoa.

    How to cut an acorn squash

    Acorn squash is thick so cutting it requires a large heavy sharp knife and going slowly. Start on a flat surface.

    Trick: cut a off the stem or the pointed tip on the bottom to create a flat base.

    Stand the squash on the flat end and cut through one side, from the top of the squash to flat end. Turn the squash around and cut from top to end again.

    This is an easier way to cut through the whole squash rather than trying to cut in half directly through the acorn squash.

    stuffed acorn squash forkful 2

    How to make Stuffed Acorn Squash - Step-by-Step

    STEP 1. Preparation

    Pre heat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet or large baking pan with foil for easy clean up and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray.

    stuffed acorn squash recipe steps 1-4

    STEP 2. Bake the acorn squash

    Lightly spray the cut side of the squash with olive oil spray. Place the squash halves cut sides of the squash facing down onto the prepared pan (photo 1). Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until fork tender (photo 3).

    stuffed acorn squash recipe steps 5-6

    STEP 3. Make stuffing

    While the squash roasts make the stuffing. In a large bowl combine the prepared quinoa, lentils, diced onion, pomegranate seeds, chopped Italian parsley and mint, lemon juice (photo 4-6). Toss to mix together. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

    STEP 4. Fill and serve

    When the squash is done add to a serving plate. Divide half the stuffing into each squash cavity and serve hot. NOTE: the stuffing may have cooled however when mixed with the squash it will rewarm.

    stuffed acorn squash side view

    Variations

    Substitute ground meat. Cooked ground turkey or chicken could also be substituted for either the quinoa or lentils if desired. Consider ground turkey Italian sausage too. This obviously will no longer be a vegetarian version and calories will need to be adjusted.

    Sauté the onions. In the stuffing the raw onion flavor is not overly strong however if you store the stuffing it becomes stronger. If desired saute the onions before adding to the stuffing. Use a nonstick skilled sprayed lightly with non-stick spray. Saute until the onions are transluscent. Add to the stuffing.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I buy pomegranate seeds?

    Yes! You don't have to wrestle them out of the pomegranate fruit. Look for containers of just the arils (seeds) in the produce section of your grocery store. 

    Can I make this ahead of time?

    You can cut and clean out the squash up to 3 days before hand. You can make the stuffing the day before and rewarm it in the microwave before adding to the roasted squash. If the squash has been refrigerated a few additional minutes cook time may be needed.

    stuffed acorn squash on plates

    How to Store

    The cut uncooked acorn squash can be stored covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 3 days before cooking.

    The cooked squash and stuffing can be stored for up to 4 days and reheated in a microwave. See the note about the onions in the Variations section.

    WW Personal Points

    To load the recipe ingredients into your WW app, log in to the WW app, then click the button below. The recipe will automatically populate with your WW Personal Points values.

    The recipe ingredients can also be manually added in the Create Recipe feature. If you change any of the ingredient types or amounts be sure to update the details in your app.

    CLICK HERE FOR WW PERSONAL POINTS

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    Recipe

    stuffed acorn squash

    Stuffed Acorn Squash with Quinoa and Lentils

    Weight Watchers Points5
    Click to track Weight Watchers Points
    Stuffed Acorn Squash is roasted and stuffed with quinoa, lentils, pomegranate seeds, fresh herbs, onion and more for a colorful delicious vegetarian main dish.
    5 from 78 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 238kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
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    Ingredients

    • 1 acorn squash halved with membrane and seeds removed
    • ½ cup cooked quinoa
    • ½ cup cooked lentils canned or homemade; use green or brown lentils
    • ¼ cup diced red onion
    • ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds (arils)
    • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
    • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
    • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 425 ˚F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
    • Cut the squash in half. Scoop out the seeds inside.
    • Lightly spray the cut side of the squash with olive oil spray. Place the squash on a baking sheet cut side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.
    • While the squash bakes combine the cooked quinoa, cooked lentils, onion, pomegranate, parsley, mint, lemon juice, in a large bowl. Mix well to combine everything. Salt and pepper to taste.
    • Remove squash from the oven, and divide the filling between the two halves.
    • Serve immediately.

    Notes

    How to cut an acorn squash
    • Acorn squash is thick so cutting it requires a large heavy sharp knife and going slowly. Start on a flat surface.
    • Trick: cut a off the stem or the pointed tip on the bottom to create a flat base.
    • Stand the squash on the flat end and cut through one side, from the top of the squash to flat end. Turn the squash around and cut from top to end again.
    • This is an easier way to cut through the whole squash rather than trying to cut in half directly through the acorn squash.
    How to Store
    The cut uncooked acorn squash can be stored covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 3 days before cooking.
    The cooked squash and stuffing can be stored for up to 4 days and reheated in a microwave. See the note about the onions in the Variations section.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 18mg | Potassium: 1185mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1622IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 123mg | Iron: 5mg
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    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    TONI DASH
    Toni Dash head shot

    Toni Dash, is a Certified Nutritional Coach and certified Weight Loss Specialist, writer/blogger, photographer, chief recipe developer and creator of Make It Skinny Please. She has been developing easy to make, well-tested recipes since 2010. Her slimmed down recipes using real food ingredients bring excitement to the dining table and never taste like 'diet food'. Toni has been featured in numerous publications and on culinary websites for her creative, delicious recipes and travel features. For more details, check out her About page.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 78 votes (67 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Rachna says

      November 23, 2021 at 3:50 am

      5 stars
      I love the nutritious stuffing for this acorn squash. Absolutely delicious and wholesome. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
    2. Michelle says

      November 23, 2021 at 3:00 am

      5 stars
      This squash is just perfect! The filling is so tasty and really easy to make. Great as a veggie option for the Holidays.

      Reply
    3. Maricruz says

      November 23, 2021 at 12:52 am

      5 stars
      What an amazing dish for this season and how fun the way you served it. I'd like to give a try to both versions, this and the one with minced meat 🙂

      Reply
    4. Amy Liu Dong says

      November 23, 2021 at 12:03 am

      5 stars
      It is easy, delicious, and a healthy dish to make for everyone. I love it!

      Reply
    5. Patricia says

      November 22, 2021 at 10:09 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is so pretty and delicious! We made it the other night, loved it, and decided to add it to our Thanksgiving menu too!

      Reply
    6. Jess says

      November 22, 2021 at 9:35 pm

      5 stars
      The flavors here are awesome! It screams Fall!

      Reply
    7. nancy says

      November 22, 2021 at 5:51 pm

      5 stars
      cute and delicious stuffed acron reicipe!

      Reply
    8. Kristyn says

      November 22, 2021 at 12:45 pm

      5 stars
      What a delicious, filling, & healthy meal! I love everything in these, so it's going on the menu!

      Reply
    9. Jessica says

      November 22, 2021 at 12:21 pm

      5 stars
      A great dish that you don't feel bad about eating!

      Reply
    10. Andrea Thueson says

      November 22, 2021 at 11:59 am

      5 stars
      These were so full of flavor! I have been craving them since I made them last week! Thank you for sharing the recipe.

      Reply
    11. Laura Reese says

      November 22, 2021 at 11:10 am

      5 stars
      I was surprised how delicious this was since I normally don't love squash! This was really good. The flavors come together beautifully and it was a pretty dish to serve as well!

      Reply

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    Welcome! I’m Toni. I'm a Certified Nutrition Coach and NASM certified Weight Loss Specialist. I'm excited to share Classic Recipes made more calorie friendly using real food!

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