Stuffed Winter Squash

Recipe by Catherine Pla

Serves 4

Stuffed Winter Squash

This is an easy but elegant winter dinner. You can improvise with the filling, substituting or adding mushrooms, different herbs, chopped greens if you wish. Any cooked rice will do, even leftovers.

• 2 buttercup (or acorn or honeynut) squash, halved and seeded

• 1 T olive oil

• 1⁄2 t kosher salt

• Black pepper

• 2 T butter (or olive oil)

• 1⁄2 c chopped onion

• 10 oz sweet or hot Italian sausage, chicken or pork

• 1 t granulated garlic, or 2 cloves, grated or pressed

• 1 t chopped fresh sage leaves

• 1 t fresh thyme leaves

• 1 c cooked rice

• 1⁄4 c heavy cream

• 3⁄4 c grated cheese, Fontina, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, whatever you have

• Preheat oven to 400.

Brush both sides of squash with olive oil and place cut side up on a sheet pan lined with parchment or foil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, then flip halves over and roast for another 10 minutes cut side down. Remove from the oven, lower oven temperature to 350 but keep the oven on.

In a medium sauté pan, heat butter or oil and cook minced onion for 5 minutes over medium heat to soften. Remove sausage from casings and add to the pan, breaking up clumps as it cooks. Add garlic, sage, and thyme. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the rice, cream, and 1⁄2 cup of cheese. Remove from the heat.

Mound filling into the squash halves and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 10 minutes until cheese is melted and tops are golden brown. Finish under the broiler for the last 2 minutes if more browning is desired.