Even those of us who have given up the bird welcome a Thanksgiving dish that has been stuffed. This satisfying dish of butternut squash stuffed with whole grain (or gluten-free) bread, wild rice, and onions makes a handsome centerpiece for the holiday meal. Adapted from Vegan Holiday Kitchen. Photos by Hannah Kaminsky.
Butternut Squash With Whole Wheat, Wild Rice, & Onion Stuffing
This satisfying dish of butternut squash stuffed with whole grain (or gluten-free) bread, wild rice, and onions makes a handsome centerpiece for the holiday meal.
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Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 4 medium-small butternut squashes about 1 pound each
- ¾ cup raw wild rice rinsed
- 1 1 /2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large red onion
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 ½ cups firmly packed torn whole wheat bread use gluten-free bread if you'd like
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- A few sliced fresh sage leaves or leave whole if small, optional
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon salt-free mixed season blend such as Frontier or Mrs. Dash, or to taste
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- Juice of 1 small orange about ¼ cup; or omit and just use more vegetable broth
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Wrap the whole squashes in foil. Place on a rack in the center of the oven. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until you can pierce through the narrow part with a knife, with a little resistance. You can do this step ahead of time. Let the squashes cool somewhat, then cut in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds and their surrounding fibers.
- Meanwhile, bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the wild rice, reduce to a simmer, then cover and cook until the water is absorbed, about 40 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until golden.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked wild rice with the sautéed onion and the remaining ingredients (whole wheat bread through salt and pepper).
- Scoop out the squash pulp, leaving firm shells about ½ inch thick. Chop or dice the pulp and stir it into the wild rice mixture. Stuff the squashes, place in foil-lined baking dishes, and cover.
- Before serving, place the squashes in a preheated 350 degree F. oven.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or just until well heated through.
Vegan-ize any recipe!Grab our free vegan cheat sheet, packed with my favorite easy substitutions to make any recipe vegan.
Variation: To add drama to this presentation, try this recipe with other squash varieties. Hubbard squash, delicata, sweet dumpling and golden nugget are just a few of the stuffable edible squashes available.
Nutrition information
Per serving: Calories: 189; Total fat: 2g; Protein: 4g; Carbs: 37g; Sodium: 310mg
- Here are lots more winter squash recipes.
- Here are more recipes to enjoy a Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly Thanksgiving.
- Find more ways to make Special Occasions and Entertaining easier and healthier.
Martha says
I made this for our Thanksgiving Dinner.
Next time I will not bake the stuffing, it was delicious prior to cooking but not as tasty after cooking. This would be a delicious cold salad without the squash or cooking.
Nava says
Jennifer and Diane, thanks for your feedback. I will definitely take that into account next time I make this; give it a fresh eye (or palate, as the case may be) before presenting it again next Thanksgiving.
Christine says
Love the presentation. Am attempting a Vegan Thanksgiving this year, wish me luck!
I'm not crazy about the texture of wild rice, so I'm going to try this with quinoa and add chopped roasted walnuts.
I might replace the OJ with another liquid as the soup I'm planning will be on the sweet side also.
Nava says
HI Christine, I recently retested, and your comment reminded me that I needed to amend the recipe. A couple of readers found the OJ flavor too pronounced, so I dialed it way back to 1/4 cup, and for the remaining liquid substituted vegetable broth. I think that should be to everyone's liking! And I think doing this with quinoa is a very good idea. I hope you enjoy it.
jessica says
Hi there, this sounds like a fantastic recipe. But I am confused, in the ingredients you mention bread and vegetable broth, but there are not used in the directions at all.
Nava says
Hi Jessica, the bread and broth are in the category of "remaining ingredients" mentioned in paragraph five of instructions. So I added a little clarification in case other readers also found this vague. I hope you like this, if you try it!
Katherine says
Quick question,
it lists 1/2 dried thyme. Should this be 1/2 ts. or TB? Thanks! Beautiful recipe.
Nava says
Thanks for the eagle eye. It's supposed to be 1/2 tsp, and that has been amended!
Ken Robertson says
Loved it but did not put the orange juice in. Will try next time with the juice. A very yummy dish indeed, thanks.
Tina says
Do you think you could make this dish the night before and heat it through on Thanksgiving day?
Nava says
Tina, you can definitely make this the night before. Maybe stop a little short of the recommended baking time. Then heat through as needed just before serving.
David A. says
I had this at a friends home for Thanksgiving,and I happen to Love squash. This
dish blew my mind it was so tasty and moist. I absolutely Loved It. Dave
Nava says
Thank you, Dave! So glad you enjoyed it.
Exotic Fruits says
“What is your favorite recipe for butternut squash? I flavored mine with butter and maple syrup tonight.”
This might sound a bit odd at first, but it totally works. Substitute butternut squash for the fresh tomatoes in your favorite tomato sauce recipe and use it on pasta just like you’d use a red sauce.