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Stuffed Butternut Squash with Feta Cheese, Spinach, and Bacon is a simple weeknight meal that may be served as a important or facet dish. It should additionally make a lovely 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 may simply make it dairy-free through the use of vegan Feta cheese.
Feta and spinach stuffed butternut squash – straightforward facet dish or important meal
This Fall-inspired recipe is ridiculously straightforward to make and is bound to turn into 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 important course. Straightforward sufficient to make it on a busy weeknight, fancy sufficient to share along with your family and friends for an important day!
Predominant components
- Butternut squash is a extremely nutritious winter squash with a lovely 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 will be notoriously exhausting to chop and that is a simple resolution!
- Feta cheese has a mushy texture and briny taste – an incredible 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 actually be used! Ensure to thaw it and drain it from any liquid. I’d even pat it dry with paper towels.
- Bacon – use chopped, cooked bacon. Cook dinner the bacon on a foil-lined baking sheet within the oven at 350 F for about 20 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
- Seasonings embrace 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 should use butternut squash, acorn squash, or spaghetti squash with this recipe. When utilizing acorn squash, remember the fact that they’re smaller in dimension and bake sooner within the oven (about half-hour within the preheated oven at 400 F).
- Greens. You should use spinach, kale, or arugula. Or a mix of those greens!
- Cheese. You should use Parmesan, Asiago, or Gruyere cheese as a substitute of Feta. Or, shredded Mozzarella cheese.
- Bacon. You should use prosciutto as a substitute (crispy it up within the oven for about 10 minutes at 350 F). It’s also possible to use turkey bacon or duck bacon.
The way to 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 exhausting outer shell.
- It’s also possible to 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 can 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 Ideas
- 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 most effective 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.
Different stuffed butternut squash recipes you may like
Stuffed Butternut Squash with Feta Cheese, Spinach, and Bacon
Stuffed Butternut Squash with Feta Cheese, Spinach, and Bacon is a simple weeknight meal that may be served as a important or facet dish. It should additionally make a lovely 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 may simply make it dairy-free through the use of vegan Feta cheese.
Elements
Butternut squash
Spinach, bacon, and feta cheese combination
Garnish
- contemporary herbs rosemary, thyme
Directions
The way to roast butternut squash
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Preheat oven to 400 F.
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Put together the butternut squash. Slice each in half lengthwise. Preserve fingers away from the knife to keep away from harm. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and fleshy strands tangled with the seeds.
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Place butternut squash reduce sides up on a baking sheet. Drizzle the reduce sides of butternut squashes with olive oil and rub the oil into the squash. Season generously with salt and pepper.
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Flip the squash over, and place it reduce sides down on a baking sheet. Tip: line the baking sheet with parchment paper for straightforward clean-up.
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Roast within the preheated oven at 400 F for 40 minutes.
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Proceed with the remainder of the recipe whereas the squash is within the oven.
Make feta cheese, spinach, and bacon combination
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In a big, high-sided skillet, warmth olive oil on medium warmth and add chopped contemporary spinach. Cook dinner for about 5 minutes till the spinach wilts. If there may be any liquid within the pan, drain it. Take away from warmth.
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Add crumbled feta cheese, smoked paprika, and chili powder to the skillet and stir it with cooked spinach.
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Add half of the chopped cooked bacon to the skillet. Combine all the pieces nicely. Tip: save the remaining half of the bacon items to rearrange on prime of the cheese combination.
The way to stuff butternut squash
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By this time, you could have roasted the butternut squash for 40 minutes. Take away it from the oven and switch cooked squash halves reduce sides up.
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Let it cool barely. Scoop out the flesh utilizing a spoon, leaving a few 1-inch border alongside the perimeters. (For reference, I present the step-by-step images, together with for this step, under this recipe card).
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Add again the scooped-out squash into the bigger cavities of the butternut squash.
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Heat up the feta cheese, spinach, and bacon combination within the skillet. Divide this combination among the many 4 halves and stuff the squash till the combination is leveled.
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High with the remaining chopped cooked bacon.
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Optionally, you possibly can reheat the stuffed butternut squash within the oven at 400 F for 10 extra minutes.
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Take away from the oven and garnish with contemporary herbs.
Vitamin
Vitamin Info
Stuffed Butternut Squash with Feta Cheese, Spinach, and Bacon
Quantity per Serving
% Day by day Worth*
* P.c Day by day Values are primarily based on a 2000 calorie eating regimen.
Vitamin Disclaimer:
The dietary data on this web site is simply an estimate and is supplied for comfort and as a courtesy solely. The accuracy of the dietary data for any recipe on this website isn't assured. It shouldn't be used as an alternative to an expert nutritionist’s recommendation.
The way to roast butternut squash (step-by-step images)
This can be a fast overview with step-by-step images. For an entire 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 harm. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and fleshy strands tangled with the seeds.
2) Drizzle the reduce 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 reduce sides down on a baking sheet. Tip: you possibly can line the baking sheet with parchment paper for straightforward clean-up.
4) Put together the squash for stuffing. When the butternut squash is finished roasting, reduce out small indentations within the cooked squash to organize it for stuffing. Utilizing a spoon, scoop out the flesh leaving a few 1-inch border alongside the perimeters. See images 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.
