Stuffed Butternut Squash with Feta Cheese, Spinach, and Bacon.
Stuffed Butternut Squash with Feta Cheese, Spinach, and Bacon is an easy weeknight meal that can be served as a main or side dish.
It will also make a beautiful addition to any holiday menu (including Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve) during the Fall and Winter season. This recipe is gluten-free, high in fiber, and protein-rich! You can easily make it dairy-free by using vegan Feta cheese. The feta cheese stuffing is seasoned with smoked paprika + mild chili powder.
ππππππ-π πππ πππππππ ππππ ππππ.
Make it πππππ-π πππ by using vegan Feta cheese.
Feta and spinach stuffed butternut squash - easy side dish or main meal
This Fall-inspired recipe is ridiculously easy to make and is sure to become a family favorite! First, you will roast the butternut squash halves in the oven for about 30 or 40 minutes at 400 F. While the squash is in the oven, you will prepare the delicious filling made with Feta cheese, spinach, smoked paprika, chili powder, and bacon!
Finally, stuff the roasted butternut squash with the feta cheese filling. Serve it as a side dish or main course. Easy enough to make it on a busy weeknight, fancy enough to share with your friends and family for a special occasion!
Main ingredients
- Butternut squash is a highly nutritious winter squash with a beautiful orange color that has a sweet and nutty flavor.
Tip: Ask the Deli Department of your local grocery store to cut your butternut squash in half for you. Butternut squash can be notoriously hard to cut and this is an easy solution!
- Feta cheese has a soft texture and briny flavor - a great combo with the sweetness of the butternut squash! It adds creaminess and great texture to the filling.
- Spinach - I used fresh spinach, but frozen spinach can certainly be used! Make sure to thaw it and drain it from any liquid. I would even pat it dry with paper towels.
- Bacon - use chopped, cooked bacon. Cook the bacon on a foil-lined baking sheet in the oven at 350 F for about 20 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
- Seasonings include smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Olive oil is used to brush butternut squash for roasting it in the oven. I also used it to cook spinach.
Substitutions
- Winter squash. You can use butternut squash, acorn squash, or spaghetti squash with this recipe. When using acorn squash, keep in mind that they are smaller in size and bake faster in the oven (about 30 minutes in the preheated oven at 400 F).
- Greens. You can use spinach, kale, or arugula. Or a mixture of these greens!
- Cheese. You can use Parmesan, Asiago, or Gruyere cheese instead of Feta. Or, shredded Mozzarella cheese.
- Bacon. You can use prosciutto instead (crispy it up in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350 F). You can also use turkey bacon or duck bacon.
How to serve it
- Serve feta-stuffed butternut squash in a deep, high-sided pasta bowl or on a large plate. Use a spoon to scoop out the cooked squash along with the cheese mixture. Do not eat the hard outer shell.
- You can also slice each stuffed butternut squash half into 2, 4, or more slices and serve it on a large serving platter. Use a sharp knife to slice the squash - it will help to keep the filling intact. Your family (or guests) can then use a serving spoon to transfer a smaller slice of stuffed squash onto their plate.
- Serve it unstuffed. Scoop the cooked butternut squash flesh out of the shells and mix together with the spinach, bacon, and Feta cheese filling. Serve it in a large serving bowl.
Storage and Reheating Tips
- Fridge. Refrigerate the leftover feta-stuffed butternut squash in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the oven. Reheat it on a rimmed baking sheet in the preheated oven at 350 F for about 30 minutes.
- Reheat in the microwave oven. For the best and fastest results, remove the bacon, spinach, and feta cheese mixture from the butternut squash. Reheat the cheese mixture in the microwave oven separately from the roasted butternut squash halves. Then add the cheese mixture into the butternut squash. Or, scoop out the cooked squash flesh and mix it with the cheese and bacon mixture.
