Wild Rice Stuffed Winter Squash

Serves 4
  • 1 ½ cups cooked wild rice

To prepare wild rice, bring rice to a boil in lightly salted water and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook 30-50 minutes until the grains have split open and the rice is tender. Wild rice cooking time tends to vary depending on how old your rice is, how dry it is, so you really have to start testing it after the first 30 minutes. Once it’s tender, drain it and set aside.

  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 Anaheim pepper, diced
  • 1 cup mushrooms sliced
  • 1 cup chorizo sausage
  • ½ cup shelled edamame
  • ½ cup corn kernels
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 Tb butter
  • 2 winter squash: Acorn, Kabocha, Buttercup or other type. I used Bonbon squash this time.

Prepare your squash by cutting them in half vertically and removing the seeds and pulp. Put the squash on a cookie sheet and put a couple of tablespoons of water into the cavity of each half. Roast in the oven until tender, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and drain any remaining water. Reduce the oven heat to 350.

While the squash is baking, prepare your stuffing. In a sauté pan, melt the butter, add the onion, garlic and Anaheim pepper, and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté 5 minutes more. Add the cumin and cayenne and stir to incorporate. Crumble the chorizo into the pan and sauté another 5 minutes or so until the sausage is golden brown. Add the edamame and corn and cook for 4 more minutes. Add the wild rice, stir, and cook until heated through.

Stuff the cavity of each squash with the stuffing and bake them for 15 minutes. As an option, you can sprinkle some grated cheese on the top just before baking, if you like.