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Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

Quinoa stuffed acorn squash with fluffy quinoa, black beans, and sweet corn, roasted until tender. Cut-side roasting at 400°F keeps the squash silky, then you bake again just to heat through before topping with feta, pomegranate, and cilantro.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Acorn squash
  • 2 acorn squash Halved and seeded.
Olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Quinoa
  • 1 cup quinoa, cooked Use cooked quinoa.
Black beans
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained Drained.
Corn
  • 1 cup corn kernels
Ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
Feta
  • 0.5 cup crumbled feta For topping.
Pomegranate seeds
  • 0.5 cup pomegranate seeds For topping.
Cilantro
  • 0.25 cup chopped cilantro For topping.
Salt and pepper
  • 1 Salt and pepper, to taste Season to taste.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Roast the squash
  1. Heat oven to 400°F. Place squash halves cut-side down on a sheet pan and roast for 30 minutes, until the flesh is tender.
Make the quinoa filling
  1. In a bowl, mix cooked quinoa, black beans, corn kernels, ground cumin, and olive oil. Stir until evenly combined and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Fill and bake
  1. Flip the roasted squash halves cut-side up. Fill each half with the quinoa mixture.
  2. Bake the filled squash at 400°F for 10 minutes, just until heated through and the edges look slightly steamy.
Top and serve
  1. Remove from the oven and immediately top with crumbled feta, pomegranate seeds, and chopped cilantro. Serve warm for the best contrast between tender squash and bright toppings.

Notes

Pro tip: For meal prep, scoop and portion the quinoa filling evenly so each half heats through at the same rate. Store filled halves in the refrigerator in airtight containers for up to 4 days; reheat in the oven or microwave until hot. Freezing is not recommended for best texture. Dietary swap: use dairy-free feta or omit feta entirely to make it dairy-free while keeping the pomegranate and cilantro topping.