The Bison stuffed winter squash recipe offers a colorful way to embrace the fall season, Acorn squash specifically is packed with nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals. This stuffed squash recipe featuring grass-fed bison combines wholesome ingredients like wild rice, kale, and fruits to create a recipe I love .
Key Takeaways:
- Acorn squash is a versatile and nutritious ingredient, full of antioxidants like carotenoids and packed with fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium.
- Winter squash: A type of gourd grown on a vine, perfect for roasting and stuffing with various ingredients like bison, wild rice, kale, apples, and sunflower seeds.
- Taste versatility: The rich flavor of acorn squash pairs well with savory spices like paprika and chipotle, as well as sweeter seasonings like cinnamon and maple.
- Health benefits: Bison meat, a leaner alternative to ground beef, adds protein to the dish and includes wholesome ingredients that support heart, brain, and eye health.
- Cooking process: The recipe involves baking the squash, preparing the stuffing with bison and other ingredients on the stovetop, and finishing with a hot honey glaze in the oven.
- Customization: Feel free to substitute or add favorite ingredients to make the dish your own, such as using ground beef instead of bison or adjusting the seasoning to suit your taste preferences.
- Serving suggestion: Enjoy the Bison stuffed winter squash recipe as a comforting yet nutritious main course or side dish during fall and winter evenings with friends and family.
FAQ For the Bison Stuffed Winter Squash Recipe
Q: What is the Bison stuffed winter squash recipe?
A: The Bison stuffed winter squash recipe is a delicious dish that involves filling acorn squashes with a mixture of ingredients like ground bison, wild rice, fruits, and vegetables, then baking until tender.
Q: Why should I try a Bison stuffed winter squash recipe?
A: A Bison stuffed winter squash recipe is a nutritious and flavorful option for a hearty fall meal. It provides a balance of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and imperative vitamins and minerals.
Q: How can I make Bison Stuffed Winter Squash at home?
A: To make Bison Stuffed Winter Squash, you will need acorn squashes, ground bison, wild rice, various fruits and vegetables, herbs, and hot honey. Follow the detailed recipe instructions to cook the dish to perfection.
Other Bison Recipes to Try
Easy One Pot Bison Fried Rice Recipe
Hot and Boozy Bison Chili Recipe
Cooking the Bison Stuffed Winter Squash Recipe Over the Campfire
Preparing the Squash
The first step to cooking the Bison stuffed winter squash recipe is preparing the acorn squashes Begin by cutting off the stems and bottoms of the squashes and halving them horizontally. Remove the seeds and discard them. Drizzle olive oil, salt, and pepper over the squash before baking them cut side down until they are fork-tender.
Cooking the Bison Mixture
Once the squashes are in the oven, it’s time to prepare the flavorful bison mixture. Cook garlic, onions, celery, and green peppers to soften them, then add the ground bison to the skillet until browned. Mix in the kale, apples, rice, and dried apricots, and season with salt and pepper. Combine all the ingredients well and keep warm on low heat while you prepare the squash.
Assembling the Dish
To assemble the Bison stuffed winter squash recipe, drizzle more hot honey over the cooked squash before filling them with the bison mixture. Garnish with sunflower seeds and thyme for added flavor. Serve the stuffed squashes warm and enjoy a comforting meal that is both nutritious and hearty.
Cooking the Bison stuffed winter squash is a great way to enjoy seasonal flavors and get a dose of crucial nutrients like fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium from the acorn squash and other wholesome ingredients.
Why We Love Bison Stuffed Winter Squash
Nutritional Benefits of Acorn Squash
If you’re wondering why we adore the Bison Stuffed Winter Squash, it’s not just about the delicious taste! Acorn squash, the main ingredient, offers numerous nutritional benefits. This starchy veggie is rich in fiber, boasting 9 grams per cup. It’s also packed with over 35% of the vitamin C you need in a day. The recipe also provides necessary minerals like potassium and magnesium, crucial for heart and bone health.
Ingredients For the Bison Stuffed Winter Squash Recipe
Your Bison stuffed winter squash recipe will be a delicious combination of various high-quality ingredients. Let’s explore what makes this dish so flavorful and nourishing.
Acorn Squash and Spices
To start, the acorn squash provides a hearty base for the dish. Packed with antioxidants like beta-carotene and zeaxanthin, this starchy vegetable supports heart health and brain function. Pairing perfectly with savory spices like paprika and chipotle, the acorn squash adds a rich flavor profile to the overall dish.
Wild Rice and Chicken Stock
Stuffed with a mixture of wild rice and chicken stock, the dish gains a wholesome and hearty texture. Wild rice adds a nutritional boost to the bison stuffing. The chicken stock brings flavor and helps bind the ingredients together.
Another important part of the Bison Stuffed Winter Squash is the fresh herbs used in the recipe. The combination of sage and thyme adds a fragrant aroma to the ground bison stuffing. Mixing well with the tender kale, apples, and dried apricots, the fresh herbs give it more flavors to mix together.
Ground Bison and Fresh Herbs
With its lean and flavorful nature the Bison stuffed winter squash recipe serves as a high-quality protein source in the Bison Stuffed Winter Squash. Bison is rich in nutrients and lower in fat than ground beef. Bison adds a delicious twist to the traditional stuffed squash recipe.
Easy Bison Stuffed Winter Squash Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Twine
- mixing bowl
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Grill Grate
- knives
- Campfire Cooking Utensils
- Campfire Serving Utensils
- Campfire Fork Or Tongs
- fire proof cooking gloves
- Cast Iron Dutch Oven
- foil paper
Ingredients
- 4 squashes acorn
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1/2 cup wild rice
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1/2 cup onion diced white
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 1/2 cup green pepper diced
- 1 pound ground bison
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp fresh sage chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme chopped
- 3 cups kale chopped
- 1/2 cup pear diced about 1/2 pear diced
- 1/2 cup Granny Smith apple diced about 1/2 apple diced
- 1/2 cup dried apricots diced
- 3 tbsp hot honey
- salt and pepper to taste
Video
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375F°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut stems and bottoms off acorn squash and halve them horizontally. Scoop out the seeds and discard them. Lay the squash cut side up on the lined baking sheet.
- Drizzle squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper before flipping them cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake on the lower rack of the oven for about 30 minutes, or until fork-tender.
- Meanwhile, combine wild rice with 3/4 cup chicken stock and 1/2 teaspoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. When it comes to a boil, cover and turn the heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed, then set aside.
- Preheat a large skillet or a cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat on the stove. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, onions, celery, and green pepper and cook, stirring, to soften the vegetables and draw out their flavors. Turn the heat down to medium-low if they start to take on any color. Add the bison to the skillet and cook until browned and no longer pink. Add the soy sauce, sage, and thyme. Stir the meat mixture well and add the chopped kale. Cook until the kale is wilted, then turn off the heat.
- Add the apples to the meat mixture. The heat will gently cook the fruit through without making it too mushy. Add the rice and dried apricots to the pan and stir stuffing mixture well to thoroughly combine all ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm on low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Cool the squash for a moment, then divide the bison mixture between the squash, stuffing the meat in each cavity. Drizzle more hot honey on top. Garnish with sunflower seeds and thyme sprigs. Serve warm.
Nutrition
