If you are looking for a vegetarian main that will really wow, then this whole stuffed butternut squash is it. Packed with protein and vegetables, easy to adapt and a vegan option too. Rice (or you could use quinoa or bulgur wheat), leafy greens and cheese, all stuffed into a butternut squash half.
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Vegetarian mains can be a little uninspiring, but like many stuffed butternut squash recipes this one is vibrant and full of flavour. It makes a delicious comforting Autumn/Winter meal, but also an amazing vegetarian Christmas dinner.
Such a great way to use a butternut squash if you are feeling a bit uninspired. You could add meat to it, or even make it vegan - there are lots of options for this hearty meal.
Looking for more butternut squash recipes? Why not try our easy Roasted Squash Salad, delicious Butternut Squash Risotto, or quick and simple Butternut Squash Pasta
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Butternut squash - We used a medium sized butternut squash and found that half of that was enough for one person for a light lunch. There is no need to peel it, as the skin is actually delicious when roasted, you just have to make sure to clean it really, really well. You could also make this with pumpkin instead of butternut squash.
- Rice - This is what makes the meal really filling. Use wild rice for something a little special. You don't have to use rice though, and it could be swapped for quinoa, couscous, pearl barley or bulgar wheat.
- Garlic - An easy and low calorie way to add lots of flavour to meals. You can either crush your own, or use half a teaspoon of ready chopped lazy garlic.
- Spinach - This is a great way to give the dish a green veggie boost. You could swap it for chopped kale or chard too.
- Beans - We used cannellini beans and this gives the dish a protein boost. You could use black beans, butter beans or even chickpeas.
- Cherry tomatoes - This helps keep it all moist. You could swap it for sun-dried tomatoes, or use both of them.
- Red onion - You can swap this with brown onion or shallots.
- Feta - Everything is better with cheese on top, right? Feta adds some creaminess and a little bit of saltiness to this dish. You could add grated cheddar or Parmesan instead though. Parmesan would mean it's no longer vegetarian though.
- Breadcrumbs - This adds some crispiness to the finished dish. You can leave it out, but we love it for a finishing touch.
Variations
The great thing about these butternut squash stuffed shells, is that it is so easy to adapt. You can stuff a butternut squash with almost anything, so you never have to eat it the same way twice.
Meat - Whilst we kept this vegetarian, there is no reason why you couldn't add meat to stuffed squash. Why not try some chopped ham, ground beef or sausage, or even leftovers of our Slow Cooker Whole Chicken?
Vegetables - When it comes to vegetables, the options are almost endless when it comes to stuffed butternut squash filling.
You could keep it simple with this stuffed butternut squash recipe and just do a mushroom filling, with a few different types of mushroom for different textures. A creamy spinach and artichoke mixture is really good for something a bit more luxurious.
Pulses - You could add some extra protein with cooked lentils or chickpeas, which would still keep it vegetarian.
Cheese - We love topping this with cheese to make it feel a little more indulgent. A little cheddar and Parmesan cheese go along way, but you could use feta, goat's cheese or even Stilton.
If you wanted to add a festive twist to this stuffed butternut squash, then some dried cranberries and chopped pecans would be a good addition. Speaking of Christmas, you could just stuff it with leftovers like turkey and stuffing with cranberry sauce.
How to Make Stuffed Butternut Squash
Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/ Gas 6.
One: Put the butternut squash halves skin side down and score the flesh in a diamond pattern. Roast for 30 minutes, until the flesh is tender. While the squash is roasting, cook the rice according to packet instructions.
Two: Heat oil in a pan and add the garlic and onion. Stir and gently sauté for 2 minutes.
Three: Wilt the spinach in the pan.
Four: Take the squash out of the oven and scoop out the flesh and leave a 1cm boarder. Chop the flesh.
Five: Add the chopped squash, rice, tomatoes, beans and chopped parsley to the pan. Mix well.
Six: Put the rice mixture into the squash.
Seven: Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and feta and roast for 15 minutes.
How to Pick the Perfect Butternut Squash
There are a few things to look for when buying a butternut squash:
- Colour. The darker the better - this shows how ripe it is. Also, make sure there are no green patches.
- Skin. The skin should not be shiny - make sure it is matt.
- Weight. The squash should feel quite weighty in your hands.
- Tap test. Give the squash a tap with your knuckles and it should sound hollow.
Read some tips on how to peel and cut a butternut squash.
Serving Suggestions
This butternut squash with stuffing is quite a filling meal on its own, but there are a few side dishes you could serve it with. Some of our Roasted Mushrooms would go well, as would a nice Beetroot and Goats Cheese Salad.
This is SO good with our Onion Gravy poured all over it too. With some roast potatoes too of course.
You could add a bit of extra protein by adding some of our Garlic and Herb Prawns (Shrimp) or some Paprika Chicken Skewers.
How to Use Butternut Squash Seeds
To cook the seeds, first pinch away any of the squash flesh that is attached and then rinse under cold water. Pat them dry with kitchen towel.
Toss them in a bowl with a little oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread them on a baking tray in one layer and roast at 150°C/130°C(fan)/300°F/Gas 2 for 20-25 minutes.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Add a touch of sweetness with either a drizzle of honey at the end of mixing some raisins into the stuffing mixture before baking.
- You can make this vegan by leaving out the cheese or using your favourite vegan alternative.
- Add some extra flavour by using something like pesto or sun-dried tomato paste.
- You could add different flavours by using different seasonings on the vegetables like fajita, Cajun or Italian.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make up all of the filling in advance and keep it in the fridge until it is ready to stuff. You can even stuff it and keep it in the fridge until it is ready to bake.
This stuffed butternut squash can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat, put it in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until heated throughout.
No, we wouldn't recommend freezing a stuffed butternut squash. Depending on what filling you use, you could freeze the stuffing to add at a later date.
Yes, it certainly is! But first you need to clean the skin. We mean REALLY clean it! Read that again: REALLY CLEAN THE SKIN!! Use an apple cider vinegar and scrub the skin well. You need to do this as the skin can hold pollutants, but by using an acid like vinegar, all toxins should be removed. Then, simply toss in oil and salt and bake until the skin dries out and becomes crispy.
More Butternut Squash Recipes
If you've tried this stuffed squash recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy.
Recipe
Stuffed Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 650 g (2 lb) of Butternut squash
- 50 g (0.25 cups) of Rice - cooked
- 1 tablespoon of Olive oil
- 2 Garlic clove - crushed
- 30 g (1 cups) of Spinach
- 8 Cherry tomatoes
- 0.5 Red onion - finely diced
- 100 g (0.5 cups) of Cannellini beans
- 10 g (2.5 tablespoons) of Fresh parsley - finely chopped
- 25 g (0.25 cups) of Feta - crumbled
- 5 g (0.5 tablespoons) of Panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/ Gas 6.
- Put 650 g of Butternut squash (halved) skin side down and score the flesh in a diamond pattern. Roast for 30 minutes, until it has softened.
- While the squash is roasting, cook 50 g of Rice according to packet instructions.
- Heat 1 tbsp of Olive oil in a pan and add 2 Garlic clove and 0.5 Red onion and gently cook for 2 minutes.
- Wilt 30 g of Spinach in the pan.
- Take the squash out of the oven and scoop out the flesh and leave a 1cm boarder. Chop the flesh.
- Add the chopped squash, cooked rice, 8 Cherry tomatoes, 100 g of Cannellini beans and 10 g of Fresh parsley to the bowl. Mix well.
- Put the squash mixture back into the squash skins.
- Sprinkle with 5 g of Panko breadcrumbs and 25 g of Feta and return to the oven for 15 minutes.
Recipe Video
Recipe Tips
- Add a touch of sweetness with either a drizzle of honey at the end of mixing some raisins in to the stuffing mixture before baking.
- You can make this vegan by leaving out the cheese or using your favourite vegan alternative.
- Add some extra flavour by using something like pesto or sun-dried tomato paste.
- You could add different flavours by using different seasonings on the vegetables like fajita, Cajun or Italian.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Wendy says
I haven't tried this yet but you get 5 stars for putting the amounts of the ingredients in the method - genius!!! No scrolling up and down to find out exactly how much spinach, etc. I have to add. Thank you. I'm adding you to my Favourites - at the top!!! And I'll be making it tomorrow once I've got the squash ;)
Dannii says
I am glad you find it easy to follow :)
Michele says
Loved stuffed butternut squash and this recipe was delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Kechi says
Am really loving this dish; so creative! Can I use black-eyed beans instead of this one? I look forward to making this! YUM
Claudia Lamascolo says
WE love this style squash and I cant wait to make this!
Kushigalu says
Love butternut squash. What a great recipe to try for dinner. Thanks for sharing
Jeannette says
This is such a wholesome dish and just perfect to feed the family with. I love how I can get tonnes of nutrients without compromising on flavour. Just perfect!
์Nart says
I love stuffed butternut squash. I like to stuff mine with quinoa and other vegetables but your version looks really good. Definitely going to try it!
serena says
I love butternut squash. Served it for dinner and it was a hit. Going to try next time with the leftover chicken as you suggested.
Vicky says
I am usually intimated by squash because I don't know a lot of ways to cook them. Would you serve this as a side or as the meal?
Sara Welch says
Served this for dinner last night and it was a hit all around the table! So delicious and hearty; my whole family was impressed!
Erika says
These look amazing! I love the presentation. Perfect for a Thanksgiving meal! :)
Yuna says
It was okay, I roasted the squash a lot longer than the recipe said and it was still not quite as soft as I like it. But the filling turned out good and I certainly will try this again, just tweak it a little.
Dannii says
For a squash of the exact size used in this recipe, a 45 minute cook time should be plenty. However, every oven cooks differently.