Chili stuffed acorn squash

This delicious hearty dish is the perfect comfort food.  It is a great dish when the weather turns chilly and great for around the holidays.  I love to stuff the squash with chili, chicken, or just vegetables and beans, and always topped with a sprinkle of cheese! This also makes an amazing side dish topped with a little butter, cinnamon, salt and pepper.  Below is step by step how I make this delightful dish. The ingredients are highlighted.

Take an acorn squash and cut it in half, turning each half over on a sheet pan after greasing it with a teaspoon of grass fed butter or you can use oil if you prefer.  I like the butter because it gives the squash a caramel like flavor around the edges as you see above, it is heavenly on its own!  Bake at 350 for an hour.  Flip the halves over and put back in for 15 minutes.  While this is cooking in the oven, and I mean from the moment you first pop it in the oven, grab a pan and grease it with just a half of a teaspoon of the butter or oil on medium, and add a lb of grass fed ground beef. 

Close the lid for 15 minutes, then toss it around and let it cook another 15 minutes.  Add to the beef some taco or chili seasoning or like I do, I add a half of a teaspoon of cumin, a quarter of a teaspoon of oregano, a dash of cayenne, a dash of chili red flakes, 2 tablespoons of hot sauce (i like it spicy, if you don't then you do not have to add these last 3 ingredients)  I also add a teaspoon of white vinegar, 3 diced green olives, a quarter of a white onion diced, 5 smashed up garlic cloves, sprinkle about a tablespoon of chopped up cilantro, a half of a red pepper diced up, a half of a tomato diced up, salt and pepper to your liking.  

Close lid and let it cook so all of the flavors come together for a good half an hour on low to medium heat so the beef keeps the sauce of all the ingredients.  After a half an hour open the lid and add 4 sliced large white mushrooms.  Close for another 15 minutes. Add some black or red beans and toss.  Scoop up the chili and fill in the acorn squash, and sprinkle with some of your favorite cheese, I added my favorite raw cheddar.  Pop back in the warm oven just a minute to have the cheese melt and serve!!

HEALTH BENEFITS OF ACORN SQUASH

*boosts the immune system, prevents certain types of cancers, improves vision, and protects the skin, strengthens the bones, reduces blood pressure, regulates blood sugar and circulation, and improves digestion.

*more nutrient dense than the other summer squash relatives with its significant levels of vitamin C, vitamin A, thiamin, pantothenic acid, and other B- family vitamins, and its range of minerals is truly impressive, including potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, phosphorous, and calcium.