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    Home » Recipe Index » Beef Dishes

    Stuffed Acorn Squash

    October 7, 2019 Updated November 10, 2022 By Rebecca Beef Dishes, Entrees, Fall Recipes, Prep Ahead Meals

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    stuffed acorn squash recipe with ingredients on a table
    stuffed acorn squash recipe with a fork in it, on a plate

    This easy stuffed acorn squash with ground beef and rice is made in an Instant Pot and on the stove, in less than an hour. It's a great recipe to batch cook rice, squash, beef, & vegetables for so you can reuse leftover ingredients in different dishes.

    acorn squash on a plate with a fork in it, with ingredients surrounding it on a table

    [This stuffed acorn squash recipe was originally posted in November 2018. It has been updated with new photos, cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, related recipes, video and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]

    PIN HERE to add to your recipe box.

    Table of contents

    • How will this stuffed squash make your life easier?
    • What makes this squash dish so good?
    • How do I make this stuffed squash?
    • Substitutions/Tips
    • FAQ
    • How to repurpose this squash?
    • What can I make with leftover ingredients?

    How will this stuffed squash make your life easier?

    This delicious stuffed acorn squash recipe has minimal ingredients, limited chopping, and is so easy. No need to spend 30 minutes chopping vegetables and ingredients. Buy pre-chopped vegetables to save more time.

    All you have to do is cook the acorn squash in your Instant Pot and then quickly cook the beef and rice mixture.

    You can use all the ingredients in different dishes like asparagus soup, grilled lamb steak with asparagus, Thai beef, or swap out the squash for sweet potatoes in this creamy sweet potato soup.

    What makes this squash dish so good?

    • Acorn squash
    • Onion
    • Green bell pepper
    • Ground beef
    • Italian seasoning
    • Brown rice
    • Asparagus
    • Parmesan cheese

    How do I make this stuffed squash?

    cutting acorn squash on a cutting board

    Start making your stuffed acorn squash by cooking the squash. Slice squash in half along the center, and then scoop out seeds.

    acorn squash in an Instant Pot

    Place trivet in Instant Pot, then fill with 1 cup of water. Place squash cut side down on-top of the trivet. Secure lid on Instant Pot, set vent to sealing. Set Instant Pot to MANUAL, and set timer to 7 minutes.

    Release pressure immediately when timer goes off. Carefully remove lid and remove each half of squash with tongs. Set aside.

    chopped asparagus and onions on a cutting board

    Cut onion and asparagus.

    onions and asparagus cooking in sautee pan

    Make beef stuffing. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to hot skillet. Add cut onion, sliced asparagus, salt and Italian seasoning to skillet. Cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

    ground beef and vegetables in sautee pan

    Add ground beef, cook until beef is no longer pink, about 5-10 minutes. Breaking up beef so it's in smaller chunks.

    mixing ground beef, vegetables, and rice in sautee pan

    Add pre-cooked rice, and cook until rice is warmed, about 3 minutes. 

    Place squash half on plate, cut side up, fill with beef mixture. Top your stuffed acorn squash with freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy.

    Substitutions/Tips

    • Place both parts of the squash in Instant Pot to have squash for other recipes.
    • Remove asparagus from pan before adding beef if you don't want to use it all in this stuffed squash dish. That way you can us it in soup or another dish.
    • To save time, cook beef mixture while squash is in Instant Pot. They will take about the same amount of time.
    • Use any similarly sized squash. Acorn is often the most available, but this stuffed acorn squash recipe will be great with any winter squash like spaghetti squash or delicata squash.
    • You can substitute the ground beef in this stuffed acorn squash with ground pork, ground chicken, ground turkey, sausage or TVP for a vegetarian option.
    • Other great add-ins: other vegetables, finishing salt, chopped nuts, etc.

    FAQ

    What does acorn squash pair well with?

    Acorn squash is great with vegetables, ground beef, pork, turkey, chicken, or sausage. Savory spices like Italian seasoning, Herbs de Provence, are good with acorn squash. Pair these ingredients to make this stuffed acorn squash recipe.

    Can you freeze stuffed acorn squash?

    Peel the skin before freezing. And then freeze the squash separately from the ground beef & vegetables. Place the squash in a freezer bag, and press air out of it, do the same with the beef mixture.

    When you're ready to eat your stuffed acorn squash, add the squash and beef mixture to a microwave safe plate and microwave until hot. The texture of the squash & of the filling will be better this way.

    How do I cook the squash without an Instant Pot?

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash then drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Lay cut sides down in a baking dish. Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until squash is tender.

    stuffed acorn squash recipe with a fork in it, on a plate

    How to repurpose this squash?

    • Slice the remaining squash, serve squash and stuffing mixture over a bed of lettuce. It'd be great with an apple cider vinaigrette (olive oil & apple cider vinegar to keep it really simple)
    • Want to reuse the stuffing part differently? Don't add the rice to the whole pan of beef mixture, just to the part that you'll eat in the stuffed acorn squash. Repurpose the remaining beef mixture by adding spaghetti sauce to it and serve over pasta.

    What can I make with leftover ingredients?

    • Acorn squash: swap for butternut squash in this Harvest Bowl
    • Rice: Easy Beef & Broccoli, Coconut Green Lentil Curry, Pantry Rice and Bean Soup, or Creamy Mushroom Chicken with Rice.
    • Ground beef: Thai Beef with Fried Garlic and Spinach

    Did you make this stuffed acorn squash? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!

    acorn squash stuffed with ground beef, rice, asparagus
    Print Pin
    5 from 4 votes

    Stuffed Acorn Squash

    Stuffed squash recipes are the epitome of delicious fall flavors. This easy stuffed acorn squash recipe with ground beef and rice is made in an Instant Pot and on the stove.
    Course dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 40 minutes
    Total Time 55 minutes
    Servings 1 person
    Author Rebecca

    Equipment

    • cutting board
    • knife
    • Instant Pot
    • tongs
    • Sautee pan
    • rubber spatula
    • Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons

    Ingredients

    • ½ acorn squash or similar
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil separated
    • 1 cup water
    • ⅛ whole onion
    • 8 stalks asparagus about
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
    • ¼ pound ground beef
    • ½ cup brown rice I used precooked frozen
    • parmesan cheese

    Instructions

    • Start by cooking the squash. Slice squash in half along the center. Scoop out seeds. Place trivet in Instant Pot, then fill with 1 cup of water. Place ½ squash in cut side down. For ready to eat leftover squash, I recommend cooking bout slices. Secure lid, set vent to sealing. Set Instant Pot to MANUAL, and set timer to 7 minutes. Release pressure immediately when timer goes off. Carefully remove lid and remove each half of squash with tongs. Set aside.
    • Cut ⅛ onion and about 8 stalks of asparagus.
    • Make beef stuffing. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to hot skillet. Add cut onion, sliced asparagus, salt and ½ T Italian seasoning to skillet. Cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef, cook until beef is no longer pink, about 5-10 minutes. Add pre-cooked rice, and cook until rice is warmed, about 3 minutes.
    • Place squash half on plate, cut side up, fill with beef mixture. Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy.

    Video

    Stuffed Acorn Squash

    Notes

    • Place both parts of the squash in Instant Pot to have squash for other recipes.
    • Remove asparagus from pan before adding beef if you don't want to use it all in this stuffed squash dish. That way you can us it in soup or another dish.
    • To save time, cook beef mixture while squash is in Instant Pot. They will take about the same amount of time.
    • Use any similarly sized squash. Acorn is often the most available, but it'll be great with any winter squash.

    Want to get more single serving recipes like this stuffed acorn squash delivered to your inbox? Click here to download my Single Serving Cookbook.

    Recipes are great, but you’ll need a simple 3 step process to create a meal plan that make cooking easy & helps you stop wasting food. Check out this expertly developed meal planning guide to get started. 

    More Beef Dishes

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      Air Fryer Corned Beef
    • close up of beef, sauteed spinach, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a bowl
      Thai Inspired Beef and Spinach Bowl
    • shrimp, steak, peppers, and onions on a blue plate
      Steak and Shrimp Fajitas

    About Rebecca

    Welcome! I’m Rebecca, a food loving dietitian. On Nourish Nutrition, you’ll find real, quick, and nourishing recipes for one that'll get you to want to cook for yourself, because you deserve it.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Catherine says

      October 07, 2019 at 12:10 pm

      5 stars
      Stuffed squash is such a hearty and comforting fall dish. I absolutely love it. This looks wonderful!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        October 07, 2019 at 12:12 pm

        right? it's so good & pretty easy

        Reply
    2. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says

      October 07, 2019 at 1:00 pm

      5 stars
      Stuffed squash is one of my favourite meals! This looks so good, ground beef and rice is such a tasty feeling.

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        October 08, 2019 at 11:17 am

        same! thanks!

        Reply
    3. Charla says

      October 07, 2019 at 1:16 pm

      5 stars
      I made this on the weekend for some guests and they loved it. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        October 08, 2019 at 11:17 am

        that's great to hear! it's an easy crowd pleasing dish

        Reply
    4. Raia Todd says

      October 07, 2019 at 1:25 pm

      5 stars
      What a delicious way to serve squash! I love the addition of asparagus, too.

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        October 08, 2019 at 11:17 am

        awesome! and asparagus is great in mostly everything!

        Reply
    5. Tricia says

      November 08, 2022 at 9:16 am

      How much water should you add to a baking dish to cook the squash without an Instant Pot?

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        November 10, 2022 at 11:38 am

        Hi Tricia, thanks for asking. You probably don't need to add any water to the pan when baking it, it'll get soft with time. If you aren't baking your squash with toppings (like in this recipe), you can place the cut sides down to brown on the edges and steam a bit inside. If you're adding other ingredients, I recommend cooking with cut sides up. Hope that helps!

        Reply

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    Rebecca, MS, RDN
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    At Nourish Nutrition, you'll find bold, flavorful recipes for one. Most are single serving, and all have suggestions to use up the leftover ingredients so you can stop throwing away unused ingredients & leftovers!

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