Turkey and Farro Stuffed Honeynut Squash
Turkey and Farro Stuffed Honeynut Squash is full of fall flavor! A mixture of ground turkey, farro, kale, parmesan cheese, and seasoning top roasted honey nut squash for a healthy, protein and fiber packed meal. It’s like healthy Thanksgiving in one bite!
Happy Tuesday!
I’m usually one of those people who swears summer doesn’t *officially* end until September 22nd – the first *official* day of autumn. Truth is, I just want to stretch the season of laid-back, sun-soaked days out as long as I possibly can.
Around these parts, September days usually still feel summery. But this year? Not so much. The telltale crisp air and changing sunlight of autumn have arrived, and along with them, lots of fall recipe inspiration!
As my backyard summer garden is winding down and drying up (sigh), I’m harvesting these honeynut squash.
What’s honeynut squash, you may be asking.
I asked myself this back at the start of summer when I came across a display of baby squash vines at my local garden center. I had no idea, but I knew I wanted to try my hand at growing something other than go-tos (tomatoes and zucchini), so into my garden the vines went!
Turns out, they’re basically a smaller, sweeter version of butternut squash. According to this snippet from Saveur, honeynut squash is 10x sweeter than butternut! I have to agree – it reminds me of a sweet potato, but less starchy.
About the size of your hand, these little guys are pretty cute and make the perfect vehicle for individual stuffed squash.
You should be able to find honeynut squash at your local grocery store this time of year. Roast as you would any squash – slice them, discard the seeds, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Then top with this savory turkey filling. In the skillet: ground turkey and farro cooked with onion, garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese, kale, a bit of chicken stock, and poultry seasoning (aka thyme & sage heaven).
I piled the turkey and farro filling on top of the roasted squash and topped with extra parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts.
Turkey and Farro Stuffed Honeynut Squash. Voila!
- 4 honeynut squash, halved and seeds removed
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 3 cups kale, chopped and stems removed
- 2 cups cooked farro (approximately 1 cup uncooked…I use Trader Joe’s quick-cooking farro, but but sure to cook according to package directions!)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus additional for topping
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, for topping, optional
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Drizzle squash halves with 1 tbsp of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Place cut side down on baking sheet and roast 20-30 minutes or until tender when pierced with a knife.
- Meanwhile, cook turkey in a skillet over medium high heat. Add remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, onion, and garlic and cook additional 5 minutes.
- Add poultry seasoning, parsley, salt, pepper, chicken stock, and kale to turkey mixture, stirring to combine. Reduce heat to medium and cook 5-10 minutes. Stir in cooked farro and parmesan cheese.
- Top squash halves with turkey mixture and additional grated parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts, if desired. Enjoy!
I hope you give this recipe a try, and if you do, be sure to share on social media and tag #heartandstoverecipes so I can see your creations!
