Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa, Lean Ground Beef & Dried Cranberries

This delicious recipe for acorn squash stuffed with quinoa, lean ground beef, and dried cranberries captures the seasonal Fall flavor of winter squash.  Acorn squash is readily available this time of year and is very easy to prepare.  Don’t be intimidated by it.  It can be prepared many different ways – baked, roasted,  steamed, sautéed or cooked in the microwave. Once cooked, the bright golden yellow flesh has a sweet and nutty flavor that is hard to resist.

Try this quick and healthy recipe for acorn squash stuffed with quinoa, lean ground beef & dried cranberries that are ready in just 30 minutes!

Preparing the Quinoa, Lean Ground Beef & Dried Cranberries filling:

Step 1

In a non-stick skillet, saute the lean ground beef until browned and thoroughly cooked. Set aside.

Step 2

Add 2/3 cup of chicken or vegetable broth and 1/3 cup of dry quinoa to a small pot. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Cook covered for approximately 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.  While the quinoa is slowly cooking, start prepping the acorn squash (see below instructions)

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Once cooked, combine the quinoa, lean ground beef together.  Then add 3 Tbsp. of dried cranberries to the mixture.

Preparing the Acorn Squash

Step 3

Pierce the skin of the acorn squash with a sharp knife in several places. Microwave on high for 6-8 minutes per pound. Let stand for 5 min. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds.

Fill the cavity with the quinoa-beef mixture and serve.  Double the recipe if you are serving a family of four.
Enjoy!!

Note: You may also want to cut a tiny slice off each end of the acorn squash before filling allowing the acorn to sit flat on the plate. In hindsight, this would have made it much easier to fill.  Needless to say, it was a challenge keeping the filling from falling out because the squash half kept rolling over onto its side :-/ …. also made it harder to eat.

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