Continuing with our theme of fall vegetables for October, this week we are all about squash. We have all been there, back from the farmer’s market with a load full of beautiful squash. Only we don’t have any clue what we’ll do with it all. Never fear! We have recipes from a stir fry to stuffed acorn squash. Not to mention a butternut squash pie that is deeply satisfying. We can’t claim to help with all your vegetable haul, but we think we’ve got you started.
Cumin Beef Stir Fry with Roasted Squash, Savory Butternut Squash Pie, and Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash
Cumin Beef Stir Fry with Roasted Squash: I Heart Umami
Start with roasted butternut squash. Typical and delicious. But then add stir fried beef with cumin and Schichuan peppers. Less typical and even more delicious. A great spin on stir fry night.
Tips:
- Prepping the squash the day before is a great timesaver. Consider marinating the beef ahead of time as well. If those are done, this comes together quickly.
- We skipped the red peppers, but for folks who love heat, they would be delicious.
Savory Butternut Squash Pie: Jul’s Kitchen
No pie crust here, just two layers of squash and potato mashed together with butter and cheese. Add in a middle layer of ham and mozzarella cheese...is that us drooling again? This pie is all the good things in one carb-filled dish. Takes a little time to get together but we didn’t mind one bit.
Tips:
- Several tricks to save time and/or prep ahead of time:
- Roast and mash the squash and potatoes ahead of time. Reheat gently in the microwave and proceed with the rest of the recipe.
- Alternatively, make the potatoes and squash together in the Instant Pot. Peel and dice both vegetables, then follow your maker’s directions for potatoes. Mash in the pot, add your dairy and eggs, and proceed with the recipe.
- Last, you can always make the whole thing the day before. Keep it refrigerated and then bake the day you’d like to eat. Just make sure to add time for it starting out cold.
- Reheating the pie the next day was great. But so was a slice cold, straight out of the refrigerator. If you like cold pizza, give this a try.
- The vegetable combo was killer for us. We think we may make it as a side, but eliminate the eggs.
Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash: Well Plated by Erin
Acorn squash are adorable, taste like fall and are champions at stuffing. This recipe uses all those qualities to highlight a savory filling of parmesan, mushrooms, sausage, and apples. Stuffed and topped with more parmesan cheese, this is squash’s answer to the twice baked potato. We stand in full support.
Tips:
- Speed up the roasting process for the squash by microwaving the squash, whole, for 5 minutes. It will be easier to cut in half and you’ll get a head start on cooking.
- Make this vegetarian with meat-free sausage crumbles. Go full vegan by substituting 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast for the cheese in the filling and breadcrumbs as the topping.
- This is unintentionally gluten free as long as your sausage does not contain gluten. Make sure to check your labels.
From the Smorgasbord:
We were excited to get some new books from our Ten Speed Press Ambassador program. (The following are Amazon Affiliate links. Thank you!)
- Eat a Peach by David Chang. Betsy loved the honesty in this memoir about food and cooking, but also mental health and business.
- Modern Comfort Food by Ina Garten. Ina does it again with food we really, really want to eat right now.
- Chaat: Recipes from the Kitchens, Markets, and Railways of India by Maneet Chauhan and Jody Eddy Do some armchair travel with this beautiful book all about the diverse food of India.
- Tailgreat: How to Crush it at Tailgating by John Currence: We may not be doing all the tailgating we want to this year, but we sure can make some amazingly decadent artichoke dip.