I love the concept of “edible bowls” because it usually means fewer dishes to wash at the end of the night. This stuffed squash recipe is my go-to when the weather turns cold and I want something that feels substantial but isn’t just a heavy pasta dish. The sweetness of the roasted squash pairs really well with the savory, herby turkey filling.
I’ll be honest, the hardest part of this entire recipe is just cutting the raw squash in half without losing a finger. But once that initial prep is done, the oven does most of the heavy lifting. I used wild rice here because it holds its texture well against the soft squash, but I’ve definitely made this with leftover white rice or quinoa when I realized too late that I was out of the wild stuff. It serves two people very generously as a standalone main course.
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash (halved and seeded)
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt (divided between squash and filling)
- 1 tsp black pepper (divided)
- 1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (for cooking rice)
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 1/2 tsp fresh minced garlic
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 1/2 cups chopped kale
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
Instructions
- Roast the Squash: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Carefully cut the squash lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds (you can roast them later like pumpkin seeds if you want). Brush the inside with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast them face-down for 20 minutes, then flip them face-up and roast for another 30-40 minutes until fork-tender.
- Cook the Rice: While the squash is in the oven, get the rice going. Simmer the wild rice in the chicken broth and butter. Wild rice takes a while—usually 45 minutes—so don’t wait until the last minute to start this.
- Make the Filling: In a skillet, brown the ground turkey with the thyme, garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Once the meat is cooked through, toss in the kale and stir until it wilts.
- Combine: When the rice is done, drain any excess liquid and dump the rice into the skillet with the turkey. Stir in the fresh rosemary.
- Assemble: By now, your squash should be soft. If the hollow part isn’t big enough for all your filling, use a spoon to scoop out a little of the cooked neck meat and mix it into your filling. Heap the mixture into the squash boats and serve hot.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Texture Contrast: The wild rice stays chewy and nutty, which prevents the dish from feeling like mush-on-mush.
- Meal Prep Friendly: You can roast the squash and make the filling a day ahead, then just assemble and reheat when you get home.
- Versatile: It works just as well with ground beef, sausage, or even lentils if you want a meat-free version.
Chef’s Tips for Perfection
- The Cutting Trick: If your squash is rock hard and you are afraid to cut it, poke it a few times with a fork and microwave it whole for 2-3 minutes. It softens the skin just enough to make slicing safely through the stem much easier.
- Don’t Skip the Butter: Cooking the rice with that tablespoon of butter helps coat the grains and adds a richness that the lean turkey really needs.
- Check the Neck: The neck of the butternut squash takes longer to cook than the hollow bulb end. Always test the thickest part of the neck with a fork before taking it out of the oven.
Storage and Reheating
These reheat surprisingly well. Store them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat, I suggest putting them back in the oven covered with foil at 350°F for about 20 minutes. You can microwave them, but the squash skin tends to get a little soggy.
Nutritional Notes
This is a calorie-dense meal if you eat the whole half-squash, but it’s packed with protein and fiber. The wild rice and kale add significant nutrient bulk. If you want to lower the calories, use half the amount of rice and double the kale.
