#FreshTastyValentines: Tex-Mex Stuffed Butternut Squash

So.

One of the promises that I made to J with his new healthy eating outlook was that I would cook 1 meatless dinner a week.  This was probably one of my less popular promises, seeing as my husband is big on meat.  Big.  As in if I cooked it 3 times a day he'd be all good.
But I went looking for some dishes that contained more beans and less animal protein on my favourite source for such things - Pinterest.  I even created a new board so that I could find things more easily.  This is one of the first things I pinned, knowing full well how much my husband wouldn't be in favour.
While J likes way more vegetables than I do, he's not a fan of squash - except as pumpkin in baked good form.  I like it, but never cook it as a result.  However, I had high hopes for this as really the squash was a vehicle for the Tex-Mex flavours that J is a fan of.  I was wrong.  It's too bad, really; seeing as this is delicious.  I made the stuffing for 4 (I didn't want to use half a can of black beans and have half a can leftover) and took it to work for lunch for a few days afterwards.  It's filling, and so, so good.
I scraped my squash half clean.  J?  Well, he ate the filling and said it was good.  I personally would recommend both.  I present to you now from Life Tastes Good, Tex-Mex Stuffed Butternut Squash:

Ingredients:
1 large Butternut Squash
1 Tbsp butter, melted
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 c basmati rice
1 c chicken broth
1/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 c black beans, cooked
1 c salsa
1/2 c frozen corn, thawed
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic minced (I used Gourmet Garden Chunky Garlic Paste)
Sour Cream, to garnish

Method:
1.  Preheat oven to 375F.  Wipe off the squash and split down the middle from stem to bulb.  Remove seeds and place on a baking sheet.  Brush with melted butter, season with salt and pepper to taste, and roast, cut side up for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until soft.
2.  Meanwhile, make the stuffing:  In a saucepan, melt butter and add rice.  Stirring constantly, toast rice before adding chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, lower heat and cover, simmering for 20 minutes until tender and most of the broth is absorbed.  Remove from heat and let stand 5-10 minutes, covered.  Fluff rice with a fork, and stir in beans, salsa, corn, cumin, chili powder and garlic.  Set aside.
3.  When squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out some of the squash, leaving a boarder all the way around.  Spoon rice mixture into the squash shells, dividing evenly.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Return the stuffed squash halves to the oven and bake at 375F for 15 minutes to heat the filling through and melt the cheese.  Garnish with sour cream before serving.

Adapted from Life Tastes Good

 Ready to go in and roast!  When these came out, I used the boarder around the bottom as a guide for scooping out the neck.  I probably could have removed more of the squash, but I wanted to have some squash too!  Don't remove too much, or you will lose the structural integrity of your bowl.

Going into the oven, stuffed.  The squash got quite brown through the process, but it didn't matter.  You don't eat the skin.

Here it is, ready to be eaten!  Yum!!  It's too bad that not even the words "high fibre" and "beta carotene" could entice my husband to like this more, because it was delicious.

Make sure you check out all the other fun #FreshTastyValentines posts from the other bloggers below, and don't forget the giveaway!



Full Disclosure:  I received the Gourmet Garden Chunky Stir-In Garlic Paste for participating in #Fresh Tasty Valentines.  Feel free to use whatever you have on-hand.  I received no additional compensation for this post; all comments are 100% accurate and 100% my own.