A Thanksgiving Treat From Chef Andy Mueller

With Thanksgiving Weekend knocking at the door, here’s a delicious recipe from Green Bay’s own Chef Andy Mueller, for Your Holiday Dinner:

If you’re like me, the turkey is great, but it’s the sides that convince me to overeat year after year.  Creamy mashed potatoes with gravy, fluffy sage infused sausage dressing, cucumber salad, and my favorite treat; Apple-Baked Acorn Squash!  Fresh cut Honeycrisp apples tossed with cinnamon, sugar and topped with butter and baked golden is that cold weather comfort food that makes me give thanks every year.

It has the home filling aroma similar to apple pie but is much easier to make and just as satisfying.  It also falls into the gluten-free category as the shell replaces the normal crust and has a warm creamy texture.

The recipe is basic, but doesn’t have to stay that way.  You can add walnuts or pecans to the mix, raisins or dried cranberries add a nice texture, and if you want that extra bit of gooey sweetness, you can top the squash with mini marshmallows during the last ten minutes of cooking.

The beauty of this dish is in its simplicity.  One medium sized apple fills 1/2 of the acorn squash.  It’s as simple as cutting the squash in half, scooping out the seeds and strings, then add the filling and bake.  1 acorn squash can feed two people generously, or four people nicely, considering there are going to be quite a few sides that you need to find room for on your plate!

Few foods are as versatile as squash, and even fewer are as satisfying.  Whether it’s sweet, savory, or a combination of both, squash can fit the bill and create culinary memories that can last a lifetime.

Experiment with this recipe for Apple-Baked Acorn Squash. Try it out this Thanksgiving, and you may find it good enough to crack the starting line up – Enjoy!

Apple-Baked Acorn Squash
This recipe can be doubled or tripled or more!

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Cut in half, then scoop out the seeds and strings of 1 acorn squash, place on a baking sheet, cut side up.

In a mixing bowl add:

2 medium sized Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cornstarch
pinch nutmeg
pinch salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional ingredients – 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins

Mix ingredients to blend evenly.  Divide apple mixture evenly into each acorn squash.  Top each squash with 1 tablespoon of chilled butter.  Bake for 1, to 1 -1/2 hours, or until squash and apples are tender.  If you want, you can top each half with mini marshmallows and bake for another five to ten minutes or until marshmallows are golden brown.

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!

~ Chef Andy