Stuffed Butternut Squash with Feta Cheese, Spinach, and Bacon

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Stuffed Butternut Squash with Feta Cheese, Spinach, and Bacon is a simple weeknight meal that may be served as a primary or facet dish. It’s going to additionally make a good looking addition to any vacation menu (together with Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Yr’s Eve) through the Fall and Winter season. This recipe is gluten-free, excessive in fiber, and protein-rich! You’ll be able to simply make it dairy-free through the use of vegan Feta cheese.

 

Feta and spinach stuffed butternut squash – simple facet dish or primary meal

This Fall-inspired recipe is ridiculously simple to make and is certain to grow to be a household favourite! First, you’ll roast the butternut squash halves within the oven for about 30 or 40 minutes at 400 F.  Whereas the squash is within the oven, you’ll put together the scrumptious filling made with Feta cheese, spinach, smoked paprika, chili powder, and bacon!  Lastly, stuff the roasted butternut squash with the feta cheese filling. Serve it as a facet dish or primary course. Straightforward sufficient to make it on a busy weeknight, fancy sufficient to share together with your family and friends for a special day!

Essential elements

• Butternut squash is a extremely nutritious winter squash with a good looking orange colour that has a candy and nutty taste. Tip: Ask the Deli Division of your native grocery retailer to chop your butternut squash in half for you. Butternut squash might be notoriously arduous to chop and that is a simple resolution!
• Feta cheese has a delicate texture and briny taste – an important combo with the sweetness of the butternut squash! It provides creaminess and nice texture to the filling.
• Spinach – I used contemporary spinach, however frozen spinach can definitely be used!  Make sure that to thaw it and drain it from any liquid.  I’d even pat it dry with paper towels.
• Bacon – use chopped, cooked bacon. Prepare dinner the bacon on a foil-lined baking sheet within the oven at 350 F for about 20 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
• Seasonings embody smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and freshly floor black pepper.
• Olive oil is used to brush butternut squash for roasting it within the oven. I additionally used it to cook dinner spinach.

Substitutions

• Winter squash. You need to use butternut squash, acorn squash, or spaghetti squash with this recipe.  When utilizing acorn squash, take into account that they’re smaller in measurement and bake quicker within the oven (about half-hour within the preheated oven at 400 F).
• Greens. You need to use spinach, kale, or arugula. Or a mix of those greens!
• Cheese. You need to use Parmesan, Asiago, or Gruyere cheese as a substitute of Feta. Or, shredded Mozzarella cheese.
• Bacon. You need to use prosciutto as a substitute (crispy it up within the oven for about 10 minutes at 350 F). You can even use turkey bacon or duck bacon.

How you can serve it

• Serve feta-stuffed butternut squash in a deep, high-sided pasta bowl or on a big plate. Use a spoon to scoop out the cooked squash together with the cheese combination. Don’t eat the arduous outer shell.
• You can even slice every stuffed butternut squash half into 2, 4, or extra slices and serve it on a big serving platter. Use a pointy knife to slice the squash – it is going to assist to maintain the filling intact. Your loved ones (or friends) can then use a serving spoon to switch a smaller slice of stuffed squash onto their plate.
• Serve it unstuffed. Scoop the cooked butternut squash flesh out of the shells and blend along with the spinach, bacon, and Feta cheese filling. Serve it in a big serving bowl.

Storage and Reheating Suggestions

• Fridge.  Refrigerate the leftover feta-stuffed butternut squash in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days.
• Reheat within the oven.  Reheat it on a rimmed baking sheet within the preheated oven at 350 F for about half-hour.
• Reheat within the microwave oven. For the very best and quickest outcomes, take away the bacon, spinach, and feta cheese combination from the butternut squash. Reheat the cheese combination within the microwave oven individually from the roasted butternut squash halves. Then add the cheese combination into the butternut squash. Or, scoop out the cooked squash flesh and blend it with the cheese and bacon combination.

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How you can roast butternut squash (step-by-step pictures)

It is a fast overview with step-by-step pictures. For a whole and detailed recipe, use the recipe card above.

1) Slice every butternut squash in half lengthwise. Preserve fingers away from the knife to keep away from damage. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and fleshy strands tangled with the seeds.

2) Drizzle the minimize sides of butternut squashes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

3) Roast the squash for 40 minutes within the preheated oven at 400 F. Flip the squash over, and place it minimize sides down on a baking sheet. Tip: you possibly can line the baking sheet with parchment paper for simple clean-up.

4) Put together the squash for stuffing. When the butternut squash is finished roasting, minimize out small indentations within the cooked squash to arrange it for stuffing. Utilizing a spoon, scoop out the flesh leaving a couple of 1-inch border alongside the perimeters.  See pictures for extra readability:

5) Stuff the squash. Add again the scooped-out squash into the indentations of the butternut squash. Add feta cheese and spinach combination. Reheat within the oven at 350 F for about quarter-hour, if wanted.