Stuffed Delicata Squash with Ground Beef, cranberries, pecans and green onion is a healthy, filling clean dinner recipe perfect for those looking for a nutritious meal! This easy recipe comes together quickly and is a great option for those following a paleo or whole30 diet.
Stuffed vegetables. Forever the rage!
I recently had a revelation that I could likely eat stuffed squash for dinner every single night during the fall and winter months and never get tired of it.
Just think of all the combinations and permutations one can come up with to create so many different meals out of stuffed squash!
For starters, there are many varieties of winter squash, in addition to all sorts of proteins, grains, legumes, fruit, vegetables, herbs, leafy greens, cheese, nuts, seeds and more!
Take, for instance, my Stuffed Acorn Squash with Ground Beef, Brussel Sprouts, and Kale, Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls, Turkey Stuffed Butternut Squash, Ground Turkey Stuffed Delicata Squash and my Stuffed Acorn Squash with Quinoa, Pears, and Pecans.
So many possibilities!
Thereโs just so much pleasure to be had with stuffing winter squash with a variety of goofies if you ask me!
The Inspiration For This Recipe:
Iโve had delicata squash recipes on the brain since I posted my Maple Cinnamon Roasted Delicata Squash a few weeks ago. To me, it tastes like pure sugar mixed with adrenaline.
Delicata squash is a naturally sweet winter squash that has a marvelously creamy texture. It is full of fiber, potassium, and complex carbohydrates, making it an amazing vegetable to balance out a high-protein meal.
…Which is exactly what weโre doing here! This stuffed delicata squash recipe includes ground beef mixed sautรฉed up with onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, pecans and cranberries for a super simple, complete meal.
How to Make Stuffed Delicata Squash with Ground Beef:
Begin by roasting the delicata squash. To do so, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and trim the ends off each squash.
Cut them in half length-wise, drizzle with avocado oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Place the squash on a baking sheet cut-side down, then bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash is nice and tender. You want to be able to scoop the flesh easily.
While the squash is roasting, prepare the ground beef stuffing mixture.
Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high and add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Place the ground beef on the hot skillet. Allow it to brown for 3 to 4 minutes before flipping it to the other side and browning for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Use a spatula to break up the meat into smaller pieces and mix it in with the onion. Add the garlic, sea salt and Italian seasoning and cook another 2 minutes.
Add the broth (or water) and cook at a full boil until much of the liquid burns off but the meat is still moist.
Stir in the pecans, dried cranberries and green onion.
Stuff the delicata squash with desired amount of round beef mixture and serve!
How Many People Does This Recipe Feed?:
If you follow it as written, the recipe serves 4. You can easily double the recipe to feed more individuals, or make more food for leftovers. I tend to err on the protein-rich side, so if youโre a big meat eater, consider doubling the amount of meat.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Make this an AIP recipe by omitting the pecans.
- Use ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef. If using a leaner meat, consider adding an additional 1-2 tablespoons of avocado oil.
- Make this a Low-FODMAP recipe by omitting the onion and garlic and replacing with 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar
May all thy squash be stuffed ๐
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Stuffed Delicata Squash with Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 2 large delicata squash
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 yellow onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup chicken broth or water
- 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp sea salt to taste
- 1/2 cup raw pecans chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 4 stalks green onion chopped
Instructions
- Begin by roasting the delicata squash. To do so, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and trim the ends off each squash. Cut them in half length-wise, drizzle with avocado oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Place the squash on a baking sheet cut-side down, then bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash is nice and tender. You want to be able to scoop the flesh easily.
- While the squash is roasting, prepare the ground beef stuffing mixture. Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high and add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.ย Place the ground beef on the hot skillet. Allow it to brown for 3 to 4 minutes before flipping it to the other side and browning for another 3 to 4 minutes. Use a spatula to break up the meat into smaller pieces and mix it in with the onion.
- Add the garlic, sea salt and Italian seasoning and cook another 2 minutes. Add the broth (or water) and cook at a full boil until much of the liquid burns off but the meat is still moist. Stir in the pecans, dried cranberries and green onion.
- Stuff the delicata squash with desired amount of round beef mixture and serve!
Excellent recipe! We didnโt have cranberries, so I used diced apple, and added goat cheese to garnish. All of my kids (I have 5) enjoyed it so much, and most got seconds! I will be making this again if I stumble into more delicata squash. Thank you!
Music to my eyeballs! I love hearing this, Angela! I’m thrilled your kids enjoyed the recipe – you’re mom of the year for creating the habit of healthy eating in young ones…I know how big of a challenge this can be!
Made this tonight, absolutely loved by both my husband and me. Will definitely have this again! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so happy you and your husband enjoy the recipe! Thanks so much for letting me know! xo
Made this last night, it was delicious! My husband liked it a lot, and heโs not a fan of fruit in his food. My 15 yr old even liked it, and heโs leery of anything out of the ordinary! Thanks for putting out an awesome recipe, Iโve already forwarded it to a friend ๐
Jessica! I’m so happy your family liked it! I find it so satisfying and easy…thanks for the sweet note! xoxo
I bet the cranberries add moisture and tangyness to this recipe. It’s pretty enough to serve to guests, when we can start having guests over for dinner!
Yeeees, it has such lovely flavor and texture! Hope you try it! xo