Recipe Stuffed Kabocha Squash with Sprouted Bread Stuffing
October 09, 2019
This plant-based main is sure to delight omnivores, flexitarians, and vegans of all ages. Flavourful, deceptively filling, and absolutely stunning to serve, our Stuffed Kabocha Squash with Sprouted Bread Stuffing is a tasty way to give thanks or greet the holiday season at home. We made our savoury sprouted whole grain bread stuffing with cubes of our Heritage Grain Big Red’s Bread™, but you can make our stuffed Kabocha squash with your family’s favourite Silver Hills loaf and it will be equally delicious!
(Not squash season? Enjoy this sprouted stuffing as a satisfying side dish any time of year. Prepare the stuffing following steps 1 – 6, then bake at 375℉ in an oven-safe dish with a lid for 10 – 15 minutes. No squash required.)
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Ingredients
For the squash:
- 1 large kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin) , about 2 – 3 pounds (0.8kg – 1.3kg)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
For the sprouted bread stuffing:
- 7 – 8 slices Silver Hills Sprouted Bakery Big Red's Bread™ (or your favourite Silver Hills Bakery sprouted whole grain bread), cubed
- ½ pint cremini or button mushrooms , chopped (about 1 cup)
- ½ red onion , diced
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 4 stalks kale , sliced into thin strips
- 1 apple , diced
- ¼ cup apple juice
- ¼ cup water
- 1 Tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- to taste fresh sage (or 1 tsp dried ground sage)
- to taste fresh thyme (or 1 Tbsp dried whole thyme)
- 2 Tbsp non-dairy buttery spread
- 3 Tbsp olive oil (divided)
- to taste salt and pepper
Featured Product Big Red’s Bread®– Heritage Grain
Instructions
For the stuffing:
- Preheat your oven to 375℉ Using a serrated knife, cut bread slices into cubes (3/4-inch – 1-inch), then toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread seasoned bread cubes on a baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned, flipping halfway through the bake time to ensure even browning. Remove from oven and set aside. (Leave the oven on for your squash).
- Chop mushrooms into bite-sized pieces (depending on how much of a mushroom fan you and your guests are, chop larger for more mushroomy texture, or smaller if you’re feeding a pickier crowd). Dice onions and mince garlic. If using fresh thyme, remove leaves from woody stems. If using fresh sage, stack several leaves together, and finely chiffonade (slice into fine strips). Core and chop apple into ¼-inch – ½-inch dice. Cut the stems out of the kale stalks, and slice kale leaves into ¼-inch strips.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When oil is hot, add onions, and sauté for 1 minute before adding garlic and mushrooms. Toss in your thyme and sage (season by smell!), and sauté until onions are translucent, and mushrooms are starting to soften. Add apples and continue to sauté until onions and mushrooms are starting to caramelize, and apples are al denté (tender, but not soft). Throw in sliced kale, and sauté until just wilted. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine baked bread cubes, sautéed vegetable mixture, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds.
- In a glass measuring cup, combine apple juice, water, and tamari. Melt a generous pat (about 2 tablespoons) of your favourite non-dairy buttery spread and pour both liquids over bread cube and vegetable mixture. Toss together until the mixture is just damp. Set aside.
- Wash kabocha squash. Cut in half across the middle of the squash (horizontally, not vertically). Remove seeds* and scrape inside clean. Prick skin of squash with the tip of a sharp knife in several places spread evenly over the entire squash. Lightly oil the inside of the squash with remaining olive oil.
For the stuffed squash:
- Bake the squash and stuffing using either the slow roast method or the time-saving method below.
Slow roast method:
- Place squash halves cut-side down/skin-side up on a baking sheet covered in parchment. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes at 375℉. Remove from the oven, and carefully turn squash over.
- Fill squash halves with stuffing and return to oven on parchment-covered baking sheet. Bake for 10 – 15 more minutes, or until squash is tender when poked with a fork.
Time-saving method:
- Place squash halves in a microwave-safe dish, cover with a paper towel (or clean dishcloth), and microwave for 5 minutes on high. Place your squash halves cut side down/skin-side up on a baking sheet covered in parchment. Bake for 10 minutes at 375℉. Remove from oven, and carefully turn squash over.
- Fill squash halves with stuffing and return to oven on parchment-covered baking sheet. Bake for 10 more minutes, or until squash is tender when poked with a fork.
For "outside" stuffing:
- Depending on the size of your kabocha, you may have extra stuffing that doesn’t fit in your squash halves. Bake this in an oven-safe dish alongside your stuffed squash, and serve as a side, or to appease squash skeptics and picky kids.
- (To cook the entire batch without a squash to stuff, bake at 375℉ in an oven-safe dish with a lid for 10 – 15 minutes).
To serve:
- Slice stuffed squash halves into wedges, making sure to include a generous heap of stuffing on each guest’s plate. Garnish with additional pumpkin seeds, or optional condiments like our easy-to-make Orange Cranberry Chia Relish. (A note about the skin: roasted kabocha squash skin is delicate, edible—and delicious!—when cooked, but squash skeptics can easily scoop out the squash and leave the skin on the side of their plate).
Alternative serving presentation:
- To present a whole stuffed kabocha squash at table, bake using either method up to the filling stage. Flip both halves, but fill only the bottom half of the squash, over-stuffing so the stuffing is heaped as high as gravity will reasonably allow. Return to oven for remaining baking time. Before you bring this dish to the dinner table, gently place the unstuffed top half of the squash over the mound of stuffing on the bottom half, and present as a whole stuffed kabocha. To serve, remove the top half to a second serving dish, divide the stuffing between the halves, and cut into wedges, as above.
Try these handy tips!
- *Like pumpkin seeds, kabocha seeds can be roasted and eaten. To roast yours, separate seeds from kabocha guts, and rinse. Toss lightly with olive oil and spread on a baking sheet covered in parchment. Season with salt, herbs, spices, or other seasonings to taste (we’re fond of salt and a little granulated garlic!). Roast in a 325℉ oven for 15 – 20 minutes, flipping halfway through the cook time. Seeds are ready when lightly golden brown.
