Ladies and gentlemen, we have approximately 15 days left of 2021 and I, like many, am amazed that we're already almost done with this year. Seems like the last two years have just sort of... disappeared but, pandemics'll do that to ya.

A lot of people set pandemic goals about learning new skills and, though I made no commitment, I have been trying to learn new cooking skills and learn about ingredients I don't know much about. So, in the spirit of learning, let's talk acorn squash!

Alright, rapid fire acorn squash facts*:

• rich in fiber
• rich in vitamin c
• rich in potassium
• rich in magnesium
• may help prevent heart disease and type 2 diabetes
• Acorn Squash are quite tasty**

*I just hit the first google link, I have no clue if these are actually accurate

**Opinions aren't facts but... this squash is good...

So there are some fun facts about the squash but, the most fun fact, is how simple they are to prepare. It's much more simple than I initially anticipated. It's a quick score, slice, and crack then you're done-zo. After that it's just a seasoning and baking for tenderness. 

I had someone in the office tell me they didn't like acorn squash but after he tried mine? Well, to paraphrase, 'you just got rid of a lot childhood trauma.' Needless to say, I will be making this at home and making modifications to it as I go. First thing I'm going to try is cutting the walnuts out. I liked them but, a couple people here thought it might be better if left it out. Other than that I would maybe add a couple other vegetables or serve it with... something, I'm not sure what. Maybe some vegetables *cough cough* sno pac *cough cough* 

That's it for me this week, if you give this recipe a try take a pic and send it to us on instagram! I'd love to see what people think of this recipe. Click the video below to see how I made this or keep scrolling for the full recipe.

 ingredients:

 2 acorn squash

olive oil, in varying amounts

salt and pepper

    Filling:

1 lb Midamar ground beef (93/7 or 80/20 works, I'll explain below the difference)

1 1/2 tbsp Italian Seasoning (more if you like zesty)

1/2 cup Red Onions, chopped

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

6 leaves of fresh sage, finely chopped

1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, freshly shredded plus more for topping

1/4 cup Sno Pac Cranberries, heated and mashed

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, roasted (optional)

Instructions:

1) cut the squash in half, rub with 2 tbsp olive oil and season heavily with salt and pepper. Bake at  400° for 40-50 minutes or until the thickest part of the flesh is tender when poked with a fork. Remove from oven and let cool, meanwhile...

2) Combine Italian seasoning with beef. In a pot, cook with with 2 tbsp olive oil (unless using 80/20, if using that omit olive oil). Once slightly browned add red onion, bell pepper, paprika, pumpkin pie spice, and sage. Mix thoroughly and and cook until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat, put meat in a large mixing bowl and let cool. Meanwhile...

3) Using a large spoon, scoop out the seeds and guts and discard. Scoop out flesh of squash leaving a thin layer (about 1/4n inch) in the shell. 

4) Place squash in mixing bowl with meat, add walnuts, cheese and cranberries. Using gloved hands, combine thoroughly. Place meat back into squash shell

5) Cover meat with shredded cheese and bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy!