More cheese right!? I know! Cheese is totally my nemesis. I don’t know about you but I think cheese hates me as much as I love it. The worst part is that I have been craving it off and on like crazy during this whole pregnancy.
It’s a tough one for me because I love cheese. It’s also tough because I really love cheese. Did I mention I LOVE cheese? But the reality is that I always feel better, sleep better, have less congestion and clearer skin when I avoid cheese.
Even with all the that, I have been eating more cheese than ever lately. I don’t feel horrible by any means and I think when you are pregnant you should (mostly) listen to your cravings and what your body is asking for but I know come late January when this baby is born, one of the first things I will clear out of my diet is the cheese.
So, in the meantime, let’s make these Cheesy Stuffed Delicata Squash.
This is a super easy recipe that is meant to be mostly hands off. Yes, the stuffed squash need about an hour to cook in the oven but the prep work and putting them together takes all of about 10 minutes. If you are really organized and you prep this the night before or early in the AM, this could very easily be a yummy, comforting weeknight dinner.
NOTES:
- Delicata Squash is my favorite for this dish because you can eat the skins!
- You can use any jarred pasta sauce (or homemade) that you like, just look for one that doesn’t have additives, preservatives or added sugar. Organic and Non-GMO would be even better!
- You can definitely swap ground turkey, pork, chicken, or bulk sausage for the ground beef.
- As far as grated cheese goes, my favorites are Pecorino Romano or Locatelli.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Cheesy Stuffed Delicata Squash. Delicata Squash Stuffed with Ground Beef, Ricotta Cheese, Sauce and topped with Melted Mozzarella and Grated Parmesan.
- 2 large delicata squash halved lengthwise, seeds removed
- 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 20 turns freshly ground black pepper
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound ground beef crumbled
- 3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup pasta sauce plus 4 Tablespoons for topping see NOTES
- 4 teaspoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- fresh chopped parsley for serving
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Halve squash and use a spoon to remove seeds and stringy insides, discard. Place squash halved in a large (9 x 13) Pyrex style glass baking dish and rub each with a tiny bit of olive oil then sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.
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Chop onion.
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Preheat oven to 400F. Heat a large skillet (12") over medium high heat. Once hot, add olive oil and then onion, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Saute, stirring frequently, 10 to 12 minutes or until onion is just starting to brown.
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Add ground beef. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up any large pieces and cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until there is no pink visible.
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Remove from heat and add ricotta cheese and 1 cup of sauce. Stir until well combined.
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Spoon beef mixture into cavities of squash. Top each with a tablespoon of sauce. Sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon of grated cheese and place in the oven.
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Bake uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes (depending on the size of squash) or until squash is fork tender and topping has started to lightly brown.
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Finish with a bit of chopped parsley, serve and Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
Could I make this in the morning and hold in the fridge until an hour before dinner, then pop in the oven?
Hi Suzy, Absolutely! I recommend pulling the prepared dish out of fridge and setting it on the counter while you preheat the oven so it’s not as cold when you pop it in the oven!
Step 4 mentions “beef mixture” but there’s no beef in the ingredient listing. I think it should say pork?
Hi Paula! I just fixed it. It’s supposed to be “ground beef” but honestly ground pork or bulk sausage works as well! Hope you love it!
I made this with a few changes. I roasted the halved , seeded squash first. I also added farro cooked in stock and chopped sautéed rainbow chard and thinly sliced baby carrots (tenderized both in the pan by adding chicken stock and reducing until the veggies were tender).
Sprinkled extra cheese on the top and baked until heated through and cheese was melted. SOOOO good!
I’ve also done this without the sauce, using a beaten egg to help bind the mixture.
Hi Linda! Sounds terrific – I especially love the addition of the farro – I bet the texture was great!
This sounds great! Do you think it would work if I roasted the squash boats first and filled them and then just popped it in oven to melt cheese? Thanks!
Absolutley Sheila – you will have to adjust the cooking time to allow for the filling to heat up before melting the cheese. Enjoy!
I searched for what to make with delicata squash and ground turkey, this was the winner. And it was delicious! Thanks ?
Awesome Kara! Thanks for taking the time to let me know 🙂
At least you have excellent taste in terrible friends 😉
True, true!!
Can’t wait to see your new little bundle! I say cheese is a girl’s best friend. Well, not really, but I love cheese way too much too.
Cheese is like my evil best friend 😉
Oh my goodness, made an almost identical recipe on Tuesday but used spaghetti – will definitely try this one as I love delicata! Thanks for posting.
Hope you love it LeAna!
I could eat cheese all day every day, so I’m with you!! As far as guilty pleasures so, I feel like it’s not so bad. 😛 Love this stuffing!
Thanks Joanne! 🙂