Wild Rice Stuffed Squash

I was looking for a new fall recipe and this one looked tasty! Thank you Martha Stewart! This was my second time cooking with acorn squash and I'm surprised how much I like it! Great texture and flavor. For this recipe I used Basmati Rice Medley from Trader Joe's. It is a blend of Aged Indian Basmati Rice and Wild Rice with Garden Herbs and Vegetables. I also used dried cranberries instead of dried cherries to add some Thanksgiving flavor!

Recipe:

2 acorn squashes (1 ½ pounds each), halved lengthwise, seeds removed

2 tablespoons butter

1 shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon dried rubbed sage

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 box (6 ounces) wild-rice blend (seasoning packet discarded)

½ cup dried cherries

½ cup pecans, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, arrange squash cut side down; cover sheet tightly with aluminum foil. Roast until tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife, about 40 minutes.
   
   
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add shallot, garlic, and sage; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add rice and 1 3/4 cups water; bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until tender, without stirring, about 25 minutes. 
    
3. Remove rice from heat, and stir in cherries and pecans; season stuffing with salt and pepper. Season the inside of each squash half with salt and pepper. Dividing evenly, mound stuffing into halves, and serve.

A couple notes:

I used 6 ounces of Basmati Rice Medley and it only took about 20 minutes to cook.

Instead of dried cherries I used dried cranberries and absolutely loved the sweet flavor that they provided.

This dish needs a lot of salt and pepper! I seasoned the rice and squash separately. Also sprinkled the entire dish again before serving.

Enjoy!