Kale and Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Fall is an awesome time of year  for a lot of our favorite veggies. Eating them the same way time and time again can get really boring! Trying new recipes can be risky, especially when you are trying to maintain a slightly healthier diet. When I stumbled across this recipe from Pepsi, I knew I needed to give it a shot. I am gonna be honest, when I saw it contained quinoa I was a little nervous about serving to my family. We can be picky eaters, especially when its something new. I was pleasantly surprised when it was quickly devoured. I keep acorn squash in our weekly rotations often, as its delicious on its own, but back again to the same ole same ole problem. Sometimes you need to mix it up and turn dinner upside down! Serve with your favorite Pepsi product for dinner, and you have created a winning combination!

Pepsi makes it easy to enjoy veggies again! This is something that you are going to want to create again and again, so make sure you print this off for future use! If you are looking for an after dinner cocktail to enjoy, check out the Sparkling Vampire Bite Cocktail on the Pepsi recipe page!

What You Need

• 2 acorn squash (each about 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 lb)
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper, divided
• 1 pkg (4.9 oz) Near East® Rosemary & Olive Oil Quinoa
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
• 4 cups shredded kale (stems removed)
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1/3 cup Tropicana® Cranberry Juice
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Halve and seed squash; brush cut sides with 2 tbsp oil and season with half each of the salt and pepper. Place on parchment paper–lined baking sheet; bake cut sides down for 30 to 35 minutes or until fork-tender. Meanwhile, cook quinoa according to package directions.
2. Heat remaining oil in large skillet set over medium heat; cook onion, celery, garlic, thyme and remaining salt and pepper for about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in kale; cook for about 3 minutes or until wilted.
3. Stir in broth, juice and dried cranberries; bring to boil. Boil for about 2 minutes or until almost all liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in cooked quinoa, half of the Parmesan, and walnuts.
4. Spoon filling evenly into squash halves. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Bake in 400°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until cheese is golden and filling is heated through. Garnish with parsley. To serve, cut in half.

Variation

Tip: To make ahead, roast squash and prepare filling the day before serving; cover and refrigerate. Adjust cooking time if necessary.

Cooking time (duration)

Prep: 15 min. Cook: 1 hour

Number of servings (yield)

4 servings

Category

Vegetable

Submitted by

Pepsi