Cranberry Apple Stuffed Squash

Brooke the Cook in WI's Note:

It's fall in Wisconsin! Made this up last night after traveling to our local apple orchard and picking out a beautiful autumn cup winter squash, a 'cousin' of the butternut squash, too good not to share!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 2

• 1 (2 -4 lb) kabocha squash (winter squash) or 1 (2 -4 lb) butternut squash (winter squash) or 1 (2 -4 lb) buttercup squash (winter squash) or 1 (2 -4 lb) autumn cup squash (winter squash)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium apple , diced
• ½ cup fresh cranberries , frozen can also be used
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped pecans , toasted
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and prepare baking dish large enough to hold your squash.
2. Halve squash and scoop out the pulp.
3. Place cut side down in baking dish and bake for 35 minutes. I usually add just a bit of water to the dish to keep the squash moist.
4. About 7-10 minutes before your timer goes off, prepare filling. Heat small saucepan over medium heat, add butter, diced apple, fresh cranberries, brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon. Heat over medium heat until butter is melted, then simmer on low until timer goes off.
5. Remove squash from oven, flip over and fill with apple/cranberry filling.
6. Bake an additional 25-35 minutes depending on the type and size of your squash, again adding just a little water to the bottom of your baking dish. Squash is done when fork tender.

Reviews

[Pizzabeast]

Delicious! I added a little fresh ginger as well to give it a bit of spiciness.

[free-free]

Really enjoyed this I used a butternut & after cutting it gave it rub with a bit of "i can't believe it not butter" and also rubbed a bit of garlic, chili and brown sugar into them -than took advice from JanuaryBride and used fresh squeezed OJ in the bottom of the pan...i added dried cranberry as well as the frozen and did the rest of the stuffing as stated ...served them with herbed & nutty couscous w/ spicy sauce on the side (oh- i also "cut them in half"... length wise to make eating easier)...(you could even eat the skin...:) ) really nice, great flavor and pretty presentation too->Thanks Brooke!

[Lynne the Pirate Queen]

Made this tonight and shared with my roomie -- my fiance doesn't like squash, so our roomie reaped the benefits and had extra! We both loved the filling, and agreed that it tastes a *lot* like my cranberry-apple pie. ;) I used whole frozen cranberries, and like Sydney Mike, used an acorn squash because that's what I had available. Perfectly simple and tasty, this has all the best flavors of autumn rolled into one dish. Thanks for sharing!