Sweet and nutty baked Acorn squash stuffed with a spicy Mexican blend of beans, corn and tomatoes, topped with cheese and crispy salted seeds.
| Squash with Spicy Black Beans |
This low and slow heat caramelizes the natural sugars and will be a perfect balance with the spicy beans.
Ingredients
- Squash, Acorn or Butternut
- Filling
- One can of black beans (or ½ cup dried prepared)
- One can of diced tomatoes w/liquid
- 1 cup frozen corn
- Salt & Pepper
- Cumin
- Coriander
- Smoked Paprika
- Chili Powder
- 1 Smoked Chipotle pepper in Adobo sauce
- dash Cocoa Powder
- Topping
- Cheese
- Reserved seeds
Instructions
- Halve a butternut or acorn squash; scoop out seeds and reserve. Place cut side down in a baking dish and angle a bit against each other or the side of the dish so steam can escape.
- Bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours
Filling
- Combine all in saucepan, simmer for a minimum of 15 minutes. Like any good sauce, the longer it has to simmer the more the flavors will meld; I like to do at least an hour. Adjust the amount of seasonings to your tastes- it’s hard to say how much of each I use, I just sprinkle it in until it smells right : ).
- After 2 hours, pull your squash out of the oven, flip over, spoon the filling into the squash, and grate cheddar, Pepper Jack or Manchego cheese over top.
- Stick back in the oven and broil until cheese is melted and browned.
Seeds
- Wash in a sieve or small colander, pulling any fibers off with your fingers. Spread on a cookie sheet, spray with Olive Oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake/broil until browned and crispy, 5-10 minutes. (I usually do this while I brown the cheese on the squash as well) Sprinkle on squash when ready to serve (otherwise they will become soggy).
