Whole-Roasted Stuffed Delicata Squash Recipe (2024)

I've had good results using chopped-up olives (especially Kalamatas, or Nicoise) to stand in for the savory fermented flavor of blue cheese when cooking for the dairy-averse in the past; that could work here as well.
And since my family is skeptical of cranberries in all their forms - go figure - I will be changing those out for either golden raisins or sun-dried tomatoes, depending on how sweet or salty the rest of the menu (and my mood) is by the big day. Garlic will also be involved.

The stuffing is cooked by the time it goes into the squash and that 45 min. bake is mostly to get the shells tender enough to eat, so yes, this recipe could lend itself to advance prep. Try this: season/oil the shells lightly inside & out, bake them empty about 30 min. (or nuke 'em about 10), wrap well, chill 'til Thursday. Stuff, bring to room temp, then about 15 min. in the oven (while the turkey rests?) should do it. But do a 2-squash dry run this week to let you tweak things...

I haven't made this yet, but when I do it will be introduced as Stonehenge Squash. Impressive in every way.

Really watch the squash - ours was way over-cooked. Also, skip the whole-grain bread and go with something lighter.

I made this for Thanksgiving 2015 and it was delicious. The blue cheese was actually what people liked the most -- plus the dramatic, vertical presentation. We added a little broth to the stuffing and the pan to keep things from getting too dry. Sprinkled pomegranate seeds on top of the parsley -- everyone loved it.

I substituted spinach for the kale ( not a kale lover) and it was wonderful!!! Spectacular in every way :)

"boats are for side dishes" . I'm not sure what kind of prescriptive world you live in, but unless there's some kind of less than stellar outcome of the filling to serve them cut lengthwise, I find that statement ridiculous!

As an almost lifelong vegetarian, I would not be happy with this for a main dish. Between the berries and the maple syrup, it's way too sweet. There are plenty of other sweet items associated with Thanksgiving (cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, etc). I think most of us would prefer something savory.

Did a practice run as planning to serve at Thanksgiving as a vegan entree/side. Cut each squash into 3 across so keeping round shape. Partly cooked squash ahead with 3 mins in microwave, covered, after seasoning inside. Did not use any cheese. Used half dried cranberries and half homemade cranberry relish. Cooked for 20' at 350. We love kale but didn't enjoy this version that much as it seemed over cooked but did like the other elements. Looked spectacular! Plan to adjust

So I made half a recipe with 3 delicata squash but the stuffing was enough for at least 3 more - I would recommend erring towards the larger size of squash if you want to use more of the filling. I also replaced blue cheese with cubed Pyrenees Basque cheese. I think it needs more cranberries, cheese, and pecans - a bit too kale-y for my lot. Perhaps salting the raw squash or sprinkling lime or lemon juice on it prior to cooking would also improve its rather bland flavor.

Used goat cheese instead of blue and added some fried sage. We loved it!!

Substitute
Spinach for kale
Other cheese, ? Olives
Sundried tomatoes or apples diced for cranberries

An apple corer worked very well for removing the seeds. Next time, I'll pre-cook the squash for 15 minutes or so. The filling is fantastic and would make a great stand-alone dressing.

Since the recipe is essentially a cooked salad stuffed into a baked squash, any shredded/chopped/crumbled cheese(s) you'd enjoy will work - all the better if it's a melty cheese that will help hold the stuffing together a bit. (I'm leaning towards a Brie, or smoked mozzarella myself.) And a little bit of Parmesan for browning on top never hurt anybody either.
(Kosher blue cheeses do exist, but it can be very hard to find a certified source.)

Made for Thanksgiving. Ugh, no one finished what was on their plate. Too much kale for our taste. Delicata is such a delicious squash, it was a crime to fill with this filling. Mine burned on the top, just like the picture... even though I noticed the burnt picture and tried to watch it carefully. So if you make this, cover with foil for most of the cooking time.

Delicious, filling and satisfying. Also flexible. I didn’t have delicata squash so I used acorn squash. Used half the amount of blue cheese. I’ll be making this again.

Awesome recipe. Just my two bits: leave out the maple syrup (I did) - it will be WAY too sweet with it

I sliced the squash into an inch or so rounds, baked them for 30 minutes then added the stuffing and baked for 15 more minutes. I served them as appetizers. Delicious.

Making these again for Thanksgiving - the only change to the recipe is substituting quinoa for the bread. Much loved by the omnivores and vegetarians around our table and the presentation is great. One reader described dish as a mini Stonehenge. Forever to be known as Stonehenge Squash in our household.

Stuffing should be added halfway through - to gets very burnt if it is in the whole time. 30 mins was enough for the squash.

Just made this, followed the recipe as written. What was especially lovely is that because of the high temperature, the kale crisped up beautifully, like kale chips. I wouldn't hesitate to serve this for Thanksgiving to non-vegan vegetarians as well as to omnivores.

This has a lot of potential for thanksgiving leftovers. I totally riffed on the concept and it works. Used what was in fridge. 2 delicata cut in half for 2 chimneys 4 inches high. Stuffed with leftover polenta, a bit of roasted mushroom/zucchini/cherry tomato, a couple tablespoons of cottage cheese and a bit of parm. When it came out I topped with pickle and salsa verde for acid. It was great. Could also do with stuffing, turkey and cranberry for sure!

Btw, stuffing very good, especially with comments in previous Note. Jon didn’t like the skin :-)

I've now made this once with the squash standing up and once as "boats." Aside from the "wow" factor in the vertical presentation, there is nothing practical about the prep or the eating of them: They still must be laid on their side to cut into pieces and eat. My guests were quite wowed with the horizontal presentation and I thought they looked much more appealing with all the colors of the filling surrounded by the yellow/orange of the delicata.

I followed the advice from other reviewers and prepared & precooked the delicata. The second change was a different filling; the original recipe seemed too sweet and didn’t have a ton of nutritional value. So, the filling I used instead: cooked one cup of French green lentils. Mixed about 2/3 of the cooked lentils with sautéed shallots and half a log of goat cheese. Just before stuffing, added some panko and toasted chopped pecans for crunch. Stuffed, baked. Delish!

2/5, and I’m being generous. This looks nice but that flavor and textures just don’t come together.

So delicious. Leftover stuffing is great with a fried egg and/or quinoa for breakfast.

Absolutely delicious. Prior to putting the squash in the oven, loosely tie the squash columns with culinary twine. This will prevent them from toppling (oops).

Meh. Not worth the hassle of keeping them upright - the stuffing could have expanded nicely in open "boats" of squash. Won't make these again, even as a side dish. I like delicata too much to waste on this.

Made for three. Used spinach on hand instead of kale. Wish I had put in a tad more blue cheese and a bit less bread. It was outstanding and a future dramatic dinner side!