Let’s cook something new. Winter squash are in season in grocery stores; my favorite is acorn squash. The squash has a mild, almost sweet flavor with the texture like a pumpkin. It’s easy to cook–just add margarine, salt and pepper. Or for something more fancy add a stuffing; both ways are delicious. A local grocery store featured winter squash in a large bin; I had to purchase several and that sent me scrambling to my recipe file to locate a favorite recipe.

Acorn Squash

If you’ve never cooked acorn squash, you should try this vegetable. It is shaped like a giant acorn. All winter squash have hard shells which are difficult to pierce and a hollow center full of seeds. The outside shell isn’t good to eat; if boiling the squash–peel it first. I like to bake the acorn squash; hence no need to peel it. Acorn squash has a bright orange flesh and all the health benefits of other deep orange vegetables.One of my favorite ways to prepare acorn squash is fill the center with green peas, onions and a glaze of maple syrup and butter. This recipe has been a favorite over the years and we serve it at holiday dinners such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is colorful, tasty and healthy.

The second way to prepared the squash is to fill the center with a sausage and bread crumb mixture. The spicy sausage complements the mild flavor to the squash.

Vintage PF/Country Living Magazine Recipes

I had to search in my recipe file for quite a while to locate my favorite acorn squash recipes. The recipes dates me;  I believe it can be called a vintage magazine recipe. They are from a PF/Country Living magazine in 1979. The sausage-stuffed acorn squash is the first recipe I tried using acorn squash. We loved it.The back side of the page is an advertisement for a very classy 1980 Oldsmobile. Now you don’t see these autos anymore. I remember they were very large cars; sort of like driving a “tank”.

Making the Recipe

Here are the ingredients for the two recipes. I purchased 4 acorn squash; these are small ones ranging from 1 pound to 1-1/2 pounds. When cut in half lengthwise, they make 2 very large servings per squash or 4 medium servings.

Use a very large, sharp knife to cut the squash in half lengthwise. It takes some force, so be careful. Scoop out the seeds.

Place the squash, cut side down, on a large baking sheet with a rim. Fill the pan with 1/4 inch water. Bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees. If baking only two squash use a 13″ x 9″ casserole dish and add 1/2 cup boiling water.Remove squash from oven, carefully transfer to lightly oiled casserole dish, cut side up. Add cooked peas, onions and maple syrup glaze to centers of 4 squash halves and sausage which has been browned and cooked, onions and bread crumbs to the other 4 halves. Bake an additional 20 minutes. I used maple flavored sausage; next time I’ll substitute “hot” sausage and reduce the amount of bread crumbs.

Here are the baked squash. Enjoy!