Stuffed Acorn Squash with Cranberries & Brussels Sprouts

Stuffed Acorn Squash is a flavorful, beautiful dish, filled with roasted brussels sprouts and cranberries. This recipe is also healthy, gluten free, whole 30 approved and easy to make!

Make it as a main dish for a delicious fall dinner or serve it as a side dish with your Thanksgiving or holiday meal!

It’s Thanksgiving Week y’all! My favorite week of the year where I share delicious main dishes, side dishes and desserts for your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving meal.

Let’s check out what’s on the menu this year!

• Monday: Stuffed Acorn Squash with Brussels Sprouts and Cranberries
• Tuesday: Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing
• Wednesday: The BEST Smoked Turkey Breast
• Thursday: Pecan Bacon Blue Cheese Green Beans
• Friday: Slow Cooker Creamed Corn
• Saturday: Butternut Squash Risotto

If you’re looking for a tasty Thanksgiving appetizer, check out this Butternut Squash Bruschetta. And for a delicious cocktail, check out this Cranberry Apple Sangria. For even more Thanksgiving inspiration, check out my Top 15 Thanksgiving Recipes. I update this list every year to include the MOST POPULAR recipes on the blog for Thanksgiving dinner!

When it comes to side dishes, I love traditional stuffing and mashed potatoes, but I like mixing up the vegetable sides each year. This roasted acorn squash, filled with brussels sprouts, cranberries and pancetta is a GORGEOUS side dish to serve at Thanksgiving dinner. And you never have to tell anyone how easy it was to make!

Simply roast the squash on one sheet pan and the filling on another sheet pan. Remove both from the oven and spoon the filling into the squash. Voila, a simple, beautiful side dish is served!

This stuffed acorn squash recipe is also perfect for those with dietary needs around the holidays. It’s already gluten free, dairy free, paleo and whole30 approved. And it’s very easy to make vegan by simply omitting the pancetta.

In addition to being the perfect side dish for a holiday meal, this stuffed acorn squash is also a delicious main dish for weeknight dinners during the fall and winter months.

It only takes 10 minutes to prep, so your hands-on time is minimal and the result is a healthy, delicious dinner! Friends and family will love this recipe no matter when you serve it, I guarantee it!

Instructions

1. Roast the acorn squash.
   • Slice the acorn squash in half.
     • Quick tip! I recommend using an electric knife to easily slice the uncooked squash in half.
   • Remove the seeds from inside the squash. I like to use a fork to easily scoop out the seeds and discard them.
   • Brush the inside of the squash with olive oil or use an olive oil cooking spray to spray the squash with olive oil.
   • Sprinkle salt and pepper on the inside of the squash.
   • Place the squash halves cut side down on a parchment paper or foil lined baking sheet.
   • Roast the squash in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes.
2. Prepare the acorn squash filling.
   • Spread halved brussels sprouts in an even layer on another sheet pan lined with foil.
   • Add minced garlic, diced pancetta and fresh cranberries to the sheet pan with the brussels sprouts.
   • Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the brussels sprouts, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
   • Stir to combine everything on the sheet pan.
   • Roast in the oven with the acorn squash at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.
3. Finish the dish.
   • Remove the roasted acorn squash and brussels sprout filling from the oven.
   • Spoon the brussels sprout filling into the acorn squash and serve.

Common substitution questions

• What can I substitute for pancetta? Diced thick cut bacon can be substituted for pancetta in this recipe.
• Can I use dried cranberries in this recipe? I love the flavor and texture that fresh cranberries bring to this recipe, but if you can’t find fresh cranberries, dried cranberries can be mixed into the brussels sprout filling after it’s roasted. Frozen cranberries can also be used in place of fresh cranberries with no change to the roasting time.

Can you eat acorn squash skin?

Yes, the skin of the acorn squash is edible. If using a small enough acorn squash (1-2 pounds in size), after roasting the squash, the skin should be tender enough to eat.

It’s totally a personal preference though. I’m not a huge fan of the texture of squash skin, so I generally don’t eat it, but it is edible and safe to eat.

What does acorn squash taste like?

If you’ve never tried acorn squash, you might be wondering what it tastes like compared to other squash varieties. Acorn squash is slightly sweet, but not as sweet as butternut squash.

It’s mild in flavor and, when roasted, has a texture somewhere between a butternut squash and spaghetti squash. It’s not as smooth as butternut squash, but not as stringy as spaghetti squash. Because of its mild flavor, it pairs well with strong flavors like brussels sprouts!

Fun fact! Acorn squash is actually the most nutritious of all the squashes. It’s high levels of folate, calcium, magnesium, and potassium make it a wonderfully healthy option!

For more healthy squash goodness, don’t miss this post on how to cook acorn squash in the microwave, oven and air fryer!

Making this gorgeous stuffed acorn squash for dinner or a holiday meal? I’d love to see it! Be sure to share a pic on Instagram and tag me @WhitneyBond on your feed or story!

Made it and loved it? Be sure to rate it 5 stars in the recipe box below!

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