If your garden gave you a few extra acorn squash this year—or you spotted some beautiful ones at the farmers market—this is one of my favorite ways to use them. This stuffed acorn squash recipe is hearty, nourishing, and feels like the very best of fall baked into one cozy dish.
The sweet, nutty flavor of roasted squash paired with a savory wild rice filling? Absolutely delicious. And the best part? It looks fancy enough for company but is simple enough for a Tuesday night dinner.
Winter squash does really well here on our homestead, and honestly, the different varieties swap out beautifully in most recipes. Around here, we’ll use whatever’s on hand—acorn, butternut, or pumpkin. And when you learn how to make pumpkin purée, you’d better believe it’s going straight into a from-scratch pumpkin pie or our favorite gluten-free pumpkin bread.
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Quick Look at This Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe (A Cozy Fall Favorite)
- ✅ Ready In: 1 hour
- ✅ Yield: 8 servings
- ✅ Calories: 318 per serving
- ✅ Tools: Dutch oven and baking sheet
- ✅ Freezer Friendly: Yes, freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to three months.
- ✅ Why You’ll Love It: Simple, elegant, and full of cozy fall flavor.
- ✅ Tip: Place a towel over your cutting board to keep the squash steady while slicing.
What Makes This Recipe Unique?
- Seasonal Perfection – We love to follow the natural rhythms of the growing season. During autumn, that means lots of fall roasted vegetables, quick and easy soup, harvest pear salad, this company-worthy carrot soufflé recipe, and maybe even a chocolate beet cake from time to time. This stuffed acorn squash recipe celebrates the fall and winter seasons, producing cozy, earthy flavors.
- Visually Stunning – The acorn squash makes its own natural “bowl,” so each half looks like something straight out of a fancy restaurant, without any extra work.
- Totally Customizable – Make it vegetarian, or add sausage or shredded chicken for extra protein. Use what you have—because homesteading cooking is all about using what’s on hand and making it work.
- Meal-Prep Friendly – These hold up beautifully in the fridge or freezer, and they reheat like a dream. Perfect for those nights when you just need something hearty and homemade—fast.
Key Ingredients
For a full list of ingredients and measurements, check out the recipe card below.
- Acorn Squash – Acorn squash has this wonderful nutty sweetness that really shines when it’s roasted.
- Mirepoix – This is the flavor foundation for so many dishes. When you take a few extra minutes to slowly cook those onions, carrots, and celery together, it builds a deep, cozy flavor that tastes like home.
- Wild Rice – Wild rice brings a wonderful chew and nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with roasted squash.
- Chicken Broth – Homemade chicken bone broth is always my first choice because it’s packed with nourishment and makes such a difference in flavor. If you prefer to make your stuffed acorn squash vegetarian, use vegetable broth instead.
Recipe Variations
- Use What You Have – Around here, we use whatever’s growing in the garden or waiting in the pantry. Delicata, butternut and even small pie pumpkins make good options. The key is to roast it until tender and caramelized – that’s where all the flavor lives.
- Presentation – Garnish with chopped kale or spinach for a bright boost of color, or drizzle with a balsamic glaze for an impressive presentation.
- Crunch – Toasted walnuts or pecans add an interesting crunch.
- Sweet-Tart Pop – Sauté diced apples or pears with the mirepoix, or add dried cranberries or cherries when the rice finishes cooking.
- Cheese – Mix grated Parmesan or Gruyere mixed with the rice filling prior to filling the acorn squash.
- Protein – Add cooked sausage, chicken or turkey to make this side dish into a balanced meal.
Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Slice a little off the bottom of each squash so that it lays flat, then slice each squash in half from top to bottom.
Step 2: Remove the seeds, then rub the inside of the squash halves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Roast the squash with the cut sides down for 30 minutes, then flip them to have the cut side up and roast for an additional 15 minutes.
Step 4: While the squash is roasting, heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Heat the cooking fat and add the diced vegetables, wild rice, salt, and pepper. Toast and stir for 3 to 5 minutes, until the rice is fragrant and the vegetables have softened. Add the garlic and herbs to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant – about 30 seconds.
Step 5: Pour the broth over the rice mixture and stir. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, until the rice is tender.
Step 6: Once the filling is entirely cooked, divide it between the roasted squash halves, mounding it up in the middle. Garnish with fresh herbs, if desired. Serve hot.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
One of the things I love, love, love about this recipe is how easy it is to make ahead. You can prepare the filling up to three months in advance and freeze it in an airtight container. When you’re ready, just thaw it in the fridge overnight and reheat it while your squash bakes. Dinner comes together in no time.
Leftovers freeze beautifully, too! Just cool them completely, seal them up tight, and reheat in the oven at 350°F for about 20 minutes. Add a splash of water to the pan to keep them moist.
What to Serve With Stuffed Acorn Squash
This cozy dish pairs perfectly with:
- A whole roasted chicken
- This easy meatloaf recipe or slow cooker BBQ pork recipe
- A creamy leek pasta, or a vegetable frittata, for a vegetarian option
- Or serve it alongside a harvest pear salad for a light, colorful meal.
The Homestead Kitchen
This stuffed acorn squash recipe was featured in issue No.51 of the Homestead Kitchen magazine. This is the magazine we wish we had when we first started homesteading!
I wanted to make healthy, delicious meals from scratch that my family loved, but Better Homes & Gardens didn’t really prepare me for the overwhelming abundance of the seasonal, homesteading life.
What do you do with all those eggs? Those bushels of green beans? That 25-lb bag of wheat berries? Or all that basil?
We started publishing the Homestead Kitchen magazine to give homesteaders an affordable, inspiring read chock-full of the BEST recipes, DIY projects, and tips to make homesteading doable and FUN. Now, the Homestead Kitchen magazine is available in print! So subscribe today and start enjoying this magazine in the palm of your hand.
Did you try this stuffed acorn squash recipe? If so, please leave a star ⭐ rating and your comments in the recipe card below. Then snap a photo and tag us on social media @homesteadingfamily so we can see!
Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe (A Cozy Fall Favorite)
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
- Baking Sheet
- chef knife
- cutting board We love this Epicurean cutting board from Lehman's!
Ingredients
- 4 Medium Acorn Squash
- 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Cup Carrot diced
- 1 Smalls Onion diced
- 2 Stalks Celery diced
- 8 Ounces Mushrooms diced
- 2 Cups Wild Rice
- 2 Teaspoons Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 4 Cloves Garlic minced
- 3 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley minced (or one tablespoon dried)
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Rosemary minced (or one teaspoon dried)
- 2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 1 Tablepsoon Fresh Sage minced (or one teaspoon dried)
- 5 Cups Chicken Broth
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F. Slice a little off the bottom of each squash so that it lays flat, then slice each squash in half from top to bottom.
- Remove the seeds, then rub the inside of the squash halves with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Roast the squash with the cut sides down for 30 minutes, then flip them to have the cut side up and roast for an additional 15 minutes.
- While the squash is roasting, heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Heat the cooking fat and add the diced vegetables, wild rice, salt, and pepper.
- Toast and stir for 3 to 5 minutes, until the rice is fragrant and the vegetables have softened.
- Add the garlic and herbs to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant – about 30 seconds.
- Pour the broth over the rice mixture and stir. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn the heat down to low.
- Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, until the rice is tender.
- Once the filling is entirely cooked, divide it between the roasted squash halves, mounding it up in the middle.
- Garnish with fresh herbs, if desired. Serve hot.
Notes
- Presentation – Garnish with chopped kale or spinach for a bright pop of color, or drizzle with a balsamic glaze for an impressive presentation.
- Crunch – Toasted walnuts or pecans add an interesting crunch.
- Sweet-Tart Pop – Saute diced apples or pears with the mirepoix, or add dried cranberries or cherries when the rice finishes cooking.
- Cheese – Mix grated Parmesan or Gruyere mixed with the rice filling prior to filling the acorn squash.
- Protein – Add cooked sausage, chicken or turkey to make this side dish into a balanced meal.
- A whole roasted chicken
- This easy meatloaf recipe or slow cooker BBQ pork recipe
- A creamy leek pasta, or a vegetable frittata, for a vegetarian option
- Or serve it alongside a harvest pear salad for a light, colorful meal.
