Turkey Dinner Stuffed Acorn Squash

      Not many things make me happier than a turkey dinner. A great feast of potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, vegetables galore and of course the beautifully roasted bird, leaving you in the most wonderful kind of food coma there is.
       Recently my mom sent me back up to school after fall break with a nice 15 lb turkey to cook up a roommate family dinner. Everyone contributed a side dish, and we had ourselves a wonderful meal!

      As all Thanksgiving lovers can attest, the left over meals after the big day are just as enjoyable. You can imagine that 6 girls can only do so much damage on such a big bird, so I had quite a bit remaining and decided to do something a little creative with the leftovers to get my boyfriend in on the feast. 

      Last year I made a Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Acorn Squash and I was absolutely in love with it. I decided that using a squash fresh from a farm in Maine and stuffing it with all the leftover fixings of a turkey dinner was the absolute greatest option I had. 

Topping them with melted cheese and leftover gravy wasn't half bad either.....

     You really could use whatever leftover turkey dinner ingredients you have. You could use leftover stuffing in the mixture, but if you need to keep it gluten free go with quinoa! It adds some great nutritional value and is fairly moist so it's a great binder. (Rice wouldn't be quite the same)

     This recipe is such a great way to create a leftover meal that is just as exciting as the first!





Turkey Dinner Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients:
1 acorn squash, halved lengthwise and guts removed
1 tbsp melted butter or oil
2 tsp brown sugar
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped leftover turkey
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/3 cup cranberry sauce
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 tsp thyme
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
Leftover gravy

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Brush acorn squash with butter or oil, sprinkle with brown sugar and season with salt and pepper.
Place squash cut side up on foil lined baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until just fork tender.
While squash is in oven, mix together turkey, quinoa, cranberry sauce, onion and thyme.
When squash is done, stuff each with half of the mixture. Place back in oven for another 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and top with cheese.
Put back in oven for 5-10 more minutes or until cheese is completely melted and edges have started to brown.
Top with gravy to serve.