Stuffed Butternut Squash (Quinoa, Kale & Bacon)

At a glance

What stands out: Full of the goodness of fall, stuffed butternut squash is a noteworthy meal and nutritious! With quinoa, bacon, cheddar and kale, this stuffed squash is so satisfying and tasty.

How long it takes: a couple hours but mostly hands off
Equipment you’ll need: sharp knife, baking pan, skillet, mixing bowl
Servings: 4

Golden butternut squash with its tender sweet flesh, is filled to overflowing with a savory mix of salty smoked bacon, protein-packed red quinoa, dark green leafy kale, and extra sharp cheddar cheese. Nutritious, gorgeous, and so, so rich!

You just have to try this! We can’t say enough good about it. Make it tonight, you know your mouth is watering already. We know ours is. This is good eating, folks!

Be sure to take a look at all our winter squash recipes!

A standby Stuffed Butternut Squash

Ultimate comfort food. For this recipe, we use butternut squash, quinoa, kale, and scallions. We throw in bacon and extra sharp white cheddar cheese for good measure. Everything here is so satisfying: the vibrant colors, the texture, and the taste.

Good food and good for you. Just in case you need more convincing, squash is packed with nutrients and is low in calories. Antioxidants? Yup. Fiber? Yup. Vitamins and minerals? Yup. It has it all. Check it out at Healthline if you don’t believe us. We all know kale is like a superfood and quinoa is no slouch either. So you can feel good eating this dish and your body will thank you. So you’re welcome!

Time well spent. This recipe takes a little time to make. Butternut squash halves just need a fair amount of time to roast, there’s no getting around that. Most of the time is hands-off, though, and you can prep the quinoa and bacon while the squash roasts. The end result is so worth it!

What goes in

• Butternut Squash: You’ll need a four pound squash, more or less. A butternut squash is a winter squash, tan in color and bell-shaped. It has sweet orange flesh. If you prefer, you can buy 2 smaller-sized squash so everyone gets their own half.
• Thick Cut Bacon: We like thick cut bacon because it provides meatier bites of bacon. You’ll need half a package (8 ounces).
• Kale: Dark green leafy kale is a nutrition powerhouse. Remove the tough stems by grasping the stem with one hand and running your other hand down the stem, pulling off the leafy part. Chop it pretty finely.
• Quinoa: Red quinoa contrasts nicely with the orange squash but any color is fine. (we used white quinoa when we photographed this recipe.) Make a big batch of quinoa and store it in the freezer to make recipes like this or these quinoa pancakes.
• Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese: This cheese has lots of flavor and works well with the bacon. Any type of cheese can be used though.
• Nutmeg, Thyme, Salt, and Pepper: Simple seasonings from your spice cupboard to flavor this fall dish.
• Scallions (Green Onions): For a fresh garnish!

How it comes together

Prep the squash. Wash it thoroughly and use a heavy sharp knife to cut it in half vertically, from stem to blossom end. Scrape out the seeds and pulp. There’s no need to peel the squash for this recipe. Yaaay!

Roast the squash. Rub a little oil on the cut side and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the squash cut side down on a parchment lined baking pan. Roast it until it’s fork tender, about an hour.

Prep the stuffing. While the squash is roasting, you’ll have time to make the stuffing. Hopefully, you have some cooked quinoa on hand but don’t worry if you don’t. It’s so straightforward to mix and only takes about 15 minutes. Just follow the package directions.

Cook the bacon. Cut it into about 1 inch squares, nothing fancy. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until it’s crisp. Remove it from the pan, reserving a little of the grease. Put the bacon on a paper towel lined plate to drain off some of the grease.

Cook the kale. Throw the kale in the frying pan next. Sauté it just until it softens and turns a dark green. Set that aside for now.

Shred the cheese if it isn’t shredded already.

Prep the baked squash. When your squash is tender, remove it from the oven and carefully flip the halves over. If it’s just too hot for you to handle, go ahead and let it cool a few minutes.

Gently scrape the cooked squash out, leaving about a half inch stuck to the shell.

Put the squash flesh (doesn’t that sound gross?) into a large bowl and mash it slightly.

Combine stuffing ingredients. Simply add all the other ingredients to the bowl with the squash and lightly toss it together.

Stuff the squash halves. Scoop the mixture into the squash shells. There will be a lot of stuffing so go ahead and mound it up. Make little hills of stuffing in the squash.

Bake. Put the squash halves back into the oven (you can use the same pan and parchment paper!). Bake them until the filling is piping hot. It will take a half hour or so. Don’t worry if gets a little brown and toasted on top, that’s good! It’s crispy on top and so gooey and satisfying on the inside.

Serve. Here you have choices: If you’re serving it as a main dish, cut each squash half into half again so everyone gets a quarter of the squash. For a side dish, you’ll want to slice it into smaller-sized pieces. It won’t be quite as pretty but if you’re careful and have a good sharp knife, you should be able to get attractive slices with the stuffing still attached.

Before you start

Ways to change it

This is one of those recipes that can be fiddled with and tweaked to your heart’s content. Make it the way you like or use what you happen to have.

• Stuff another type of squash. Anything that can be stuffed will work whether it’s a big squash or a bunch of small ones. Really, this stuffing could be used in any type of squash. If you love the idea of stuffed squash, you have to try this memorable stuffed acorn squash, it’s one of our favorites!
• Choose a different meat. Instead of bacon, make it with sausage (Italian, breakfast, chorizo, chicken sausage links cut into circles), ham, or even ground beef. The meat should be cooked before adding it to the filling.
• Try a different cheese. Choose whatever cheese you like best or happen to have. Most any type of cheese will taste great here. Try it with feta!
• Make it vegetarian, vegan or dairy-free. Substitutegreat Northern or black beans if you want. Use vegan cheese or just omit the cheese entirely.
• Not a fan of quinoa? Use a different cooked grain such as farro, rice, brown rice, barley, bulgur, whatever you like.
• Seasonings: we chose a couple we like but you can go in pretty much any direction you like. Try a little smoked paprika for a smoky flavor.
• Mix and match the veggies. Substitute any other leafy green for the kale. If you’re not into green, substitute another vegetable. Maybe corn is the only vegetable you like (besides squash, we guess). Corn will work! So will almost anything else. If you choose a firmer vegetable like onions or peppers, sauté them a little longer to soften them.

Time-Saving Ideas

Get a head start: Prep the squash and get it ready to roast up to a day ahead. Quinoa can be made ahead and frozen. Same with the bacon.

Make ahead: The squash can be roasted and filled a day ahead of time. Refrigerate in a baking dish, covered tightly. To freeze, wrap the stuffed squash well and freeze it up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Bake the squash when ready to serve. It will take about 10 minutes longer since it’s cold.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate/Freeze: Leftover stuffed squash can be covered and refrigerated for up to three days. It can be frozen up to one month. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Reheat: Microwave in one minute increments until heated through or heat in the oven at 350°F until heated through.

Free Meal Plan

Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at Meal Plan #86. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. We add a new meal plan weekly.

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Learn How To Cook Squash

• Yield: 4
• Prep: 20 minutes
• Cook: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Total: 2 hours

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash (about 4 pounds), scrubbed (see note)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• ½ lb. (8 oz.) thick cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups tightly packed chopped kale
• 2 cups cooked quinoa ( ⅔ cup dry, cooked according to package directions)
• 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese ( 4 oz.)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme ( or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves)
• Garnish: thinly sliced green onions (1-2), optional

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line medium sized baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut squash lengthwise and remove seeds. Rub cut sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet cut side down. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes or until the flesh is tender.
3. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, cook bacon until crispy over medium-high heat. Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Reserve 1 teaspoon of the bacon grease and sauté kale in bacon grease over medium heat until wilted, about 5 minutes.
4. When squash is cooked through, remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Let squash cool slightly so it is cool enough to handle and then scoop out flesh, leaving a half-inch border around the edges.
5. Place cooked squash in a large bowl and mash with a fork. Add quinoa, bacon, kale, nutmeg, cheese, and thyme. Mix until well combined. Stuff hollowed out squash shells with the mixture, mounding slightly.
6. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. Take it out of the oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Cut into quarters (4 servings total) and serve, garnished with sliced green onions, if desired.

Notes

Squash: If you prefer, roast 2 small squash to make 4 halves. Other types of winter squash can be stuffed.

Recipe variations: Substitute spinach or another leafy green for kale. Any color quinoa can be used. If desired, substitute cooked rice, brown rice, bulgur, farro, or any cooked grain of your choice. Other types of cheese can be substituted for the cheddar. Try feta, parmesan, or gorgonzola. Instead of bacon, try cooked sausage, chicken sausage links (sliced), or ham.

Vegetarian/vegan: Omit bacon for a vegetarian dish and use a non-dairy cheese substitute or omit cheese for a vegan dish.

Storage & reheating: Store leftovers covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month. If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. To reheat, microwave in one minute increments until heated through. Or heat in the oven at 350°F until heated through.