Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe: Festive Stuffed Acorn Squash

It's already in full swing. Thanksgiving turkey mania. You know what I'm talking about. The endless, frenzied debate over how to cook the perfect turkey. With all the food magazines, cooking shows and turkey hotlines available, I know you'll find more information than you ever wanted on the bird. That's why I'm posting about Thanksgiving side dishes: They're much less controversial. You can't brine sweet potatoes or deep fry cranberry sauce. At least, I don't think you can.

Last year I shared four Thanksgiving side dishes with a twist: Perennial favorites like sweet potatoes and string beans got a makeover. They looked fabulous. But we can't make the same veggies this year. Well, except for the String Beans with Prosciutto, Pine Nuts, and Lemon. I have to make those again. Don't worry though. I've got a few new ones for you that won't disappoint.

Let's start with Festive Stuffed Acorn Squash. A robustly sweet and tangy filling of shallots, cranberries, prunes and pecans is nestled inside of a hot roasted acorn squash half. If you've just wrinkled your nose at the word "prunes," trust me, they're the ideal foil to tart cranberries. But if you just can't abide the thought of them, swap them for sweet Medjool dates. Everyone loves Medjool dates. 

Festive Stuffed Acorn Squash
Serves 4 or 8 if you slice each half in two
Printable recipe.

2 acorn squash
olive oil for brushing flesh
2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh or frozen, unthawed cranberries
1/4 cup chopped prunes or soft dates, such as Medjool dates
4 tablespoons dry white wine
6 tablespoons water

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. Slice acorn squash in half and remove seeds. Brush flesh with a bit of olive oil and place flesh side down on prepared baking sheet. Cook 35-45 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork.

2. In a medium skillet, melt butter. Add shallots and saute 3-5 minutes, until soft. Add cranberries, prunes, wine, water, salt and black pepper. Cook until cranberries pop and the sauce slightly thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Taste. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

3. Divide filling equally among the four squash halves. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and serve hot.

You might also like these roasted vegetables for Thanksgiving from Food Blogga:
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Pears
Roasted Kabocha Squash with an Orange Honey Glaze
Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pomegranate Glaze
Roasted Acorn Squash with Medjool Dates and Toasted Almonds

Here are more delicious stuffed acorn squash recipes:
Moroccan Style Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe at Eliza's Domestica
Acorn Squash with Quinoa and Hazelnuts recipe at Savour-Fare
Maple Roasted Acorn Squash and Cornbread Stuffing recipe at Karina's (gluten-free) Kitchen.

Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pomegranate Glaze

With cookies flying everywhere lately, I almost forgot to post this recipe for Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pomegranate Glaze. That would have been a shame because this dish, which I created a couple of months ago, has skyrocketed to the top of my go-to recipe list.

Creamy, sweet, red-fleshed Garnet sweet potatoes are roasted until caramelized then drizzled with a tangy honey and pomegranate glaze. Then they're dotted with ruby red pomegranate arils, toasted walnuts, and savory thyme for a highly textured, flavorful, and aromatic side dish.



Pomegranates are easy to find now due to their popularity at Christmas time. But don't delay, since their season usually runs from late October through January.

I'm telling you, this is one side dish that can steal the show from an entree any night of the week.

So, tell me, how do you use pomegranates in savory dishes?



Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pomegranate Glaze
Makes 4 servings
Print recipe only here.

Potatoes:
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 4 1/2 cups)
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 tablespoons honey
2 sprigs thyme, plus 1 extra for garnish
salt and black pepper

Pomegranate Glaze:
mix 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice with 1 tablespoon honey OR
mix 2 tablespoons pomegranate juice with 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

If you prefer, you could substitute 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses* for the glaze.

1/4 cup lightly toasted chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons pomegranate arils


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking dish or sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up.

In a large bowl toss diced potatoes with olive oil, honey, thyme, and salt and pepper, until well coated.

Roast potatoes for 45-50 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium high heat, add pomegranate juice with honey or brown sugar; bring to a boil, then reduce until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. If you are using pomegranate molasses, then simply make sure it is at room temperature or warm before drizzling it over the potatoes.

Place potatoes in a serving dish, drizzle with pomegranate glaze and lightly toss until well coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with toasted walnuts and pomegranate arils.

*Pomegranate molasses (also called pomegranate syrup or paste) is a thick sweet and sour syrup used in many Middle Eastern recipes. It can be found in Middle Eastern specialty markets. Or you can make your own. Elise of Simply Recipes tells you how here.

You might also like these pomegranate recipes:

Persimmon and Pomegranate Salsa




Winter Jewel Fruit Salad




Low-Fat Lemony Medjool Date and Pomegranate Scones




Looking for more pomegranate recipes? Then check out my latest Foodie View article, Impossibly Appealing Pomegranates, which includes over a dozen pomegranate recipes for everything from breakfast to appetizers to desserts.

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Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe: String Beans with Prosciutto, Pine Nuts, and Meyer Lemon

Sometimes I wonder if I'm truly an American. I mean, I have never eaten a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on white bread, I have never eaten at Taco Bell, and despite its nearly iconic status in American cuisine, I cannot abide green bean casserole. You know the one -- green beans with cream of mushroom soup, topped with crispy fried onions.

Growing up, I never knew what a casserole was; my mom (and grandmother) never made them. After hearing about green bean casserole from friends at school, I felt like I was missing out -- I told my mom, "It has fried onions on top! It's like green beans with Funyuns!" The next day she bought the ingredients for green bean casserole; I couldn't have been happier.

Unfortunately, she made the green bean casserole in front of my grandmother, Nan. I still remember her look of shock when my mom opened the can of fried onions. "Onions in a can? Who ever heard of such a thing? And who puts soup on string beans?" she said, "Bah, that's American food." I reminded her, "Nan, we are American." "Yeah," she replied, "but we cook Italian."

Despite Nan's protests, I got my green bean casserole. I was giddy with anticipation. Unfortunately, with the first bite, my giddiness ended. Green bean casserole was nothing more than mushy green beans topped with salty soup and greasy onions.

I declared, "I don't like it." Though she didn't say a word, I could see the smile of satisfaction on Nan's face.



If Nan could still make green beans, this would be her style: Prosciutto, Pine Nuts, and Meyer Lemon. I made this side dish last Thanksgiving, and it was such a hit that there were no left-overs. It's no wonder. The combination of salty prosciutto, earthy pine nuts, and tangy Meyer lemons enlivens the string beans.

Although you could add the prosciutto raw to the string beans, cooking it for 30-60 seconds renders it irresistibly crisp and savory, like bacon, but much better. It's an easy way to dress up otherwise humble string beans and will surely please your guests. I'd keep the string beans al dente; they'll remain brilliantly colorful and will have that satisfying snap when you bite into them.

I'm not even gonna get into what Nan thought about sweet potatoes and marshmallows.



Green Beans with Prosciutto, Pine Nuts, and Meyer Lemon
Serves 4
Print recipe only here.

1 pound string beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 ounces prosciutto, cut into thin strips*
the zest of ½ Meyer lemon (about 2 teaspoons)**
the juice of ½ Meyer lemon (1 ½-2 teaspoons)
coarse sea salt, to taste
7-8 cranks freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

In a deep pot, boil the string beans for 2 minutes. Drain and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop cooking and maintain their color. After about 2 minutes, drain and pat dry.

Place pine nuts in a small, dry skillet over medium heat. Shake pan in a back-and-forth motion until pine nuts are golden and aromatic, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside.

In a large skillet, warm 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add prosciutto strips; cook for 30-60 seconds, or until just crisp. Add the string beans to the skillet and stir well. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt and pepper; stir and heat through, 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and additional lemon zest, and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately.

*You can substitute pancetta or bacon for the prosciutto, if you prefer.
**Meyer lemons, which are available at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, are sweeter and less acidic than regular lemons, but either works well.

You might also like these other Thanksgiving side dishes:

Roasted Acorn Squash with Honey-Lime Glazed Pepitas





Olive Oil, Caramelized Onion, and Sage Sweet Potatoes





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Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe: Olive Oil, Caramelized Onion, and Sage Mashed Sweet Potatoes

One of the first posts I ever wrote was entitled "Of Yankees and Yams." I recounted a humorous incident I had with a farmer in North Carolina. He had informed me (and I in turn informed you) that yams are really just an orange fleshed sweet potato. Since then, a few people contacted me explaining that they are indeed different. After months of exhaustive research (OK, more like an hour yesterday), I hereby unequivocally, resolutely declare that yams and sweet potatoes are different.

So here's the question:

What is the difference between a sweet potato and a yam?

And here's the answer, according to the Library of Congress:

Although yams and sweet potatoes are both angiosperms (flowering plants), they are not related botanically. Yams are a monocot (a plant having one embryonic seed leaf) and from the Dioscoreaceae or Yam family. Sweet Potatoes, often called ‘yams’, are a dicot (a plant having two embryonic seed leaves) and are from the Convolvulacea or morning glory family.

Food Blogga Translation: Yams and sweet potatoes are different vegetables.

It turns out my local market has gotten it wrong too. What they have been labeling as yams are really red-skinned, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes. Apparently, sweet potatoes' skin and flesh ranges in colors, and they come in "hard" and "soft" varieties. It is the soft varieties, which become moist when cooked, that are typically labeled "yams" here in the United States.

Again, the Library of Congress: when soft sweet potatoes were first grown commercially in the US, there needed to be a way to differentiate them from hard ones. Apparently, African slaves in America had been calling the soft sweet potatoes yams since they looked like yams from Africa. As a result, soft sweet potatoes became known as yams in the States.

Considering that the U.S. produced 1.8 billion pounds of sweet potatoes in 2007, chances are you've bought some even if you didn't know it. And chances are that you're going to buy some for Thanksgiving too.



Whether it's sweet potatoes with marshmallows, sweet potato biscuits, or sweet potato pie, most of us will eat sweet potatoes this Thanksgiving. At my house it's going to be Olive Oil, Caramelized Onion, and Sage Mashed Sweet Potatoes. Though I typically drown my sweet potatoes with butter and brown sugar, I decided to go less sweet and more savory this time. Use a high quality extra virgin olive oil and the freshest sage you can find.

And if you find yourself arguing with gathered guests at your dinner table that yams are different from sweet potatoes, then feel free to cite this seminal article: Blogga, Food. "Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe: Olive Oil, Caramelized Onion, and Sage Mashed Sweet Potatoes." Food Blogga 4 November 2008: Vol. 2.

Olive Oil, Caramelized Onion, and Sage Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Serves 4
Print recipe only here.

2 large sweet potatoes, washed, peeled, and diced (4 cups diced)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
4-5 large sage leaves, thinly sliced, or to your taste
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
7-8 cranks of freshly ground black pepper
1-2 teaspoons quality extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Place diced potatoes in cold water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain immediately.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add sliced onions and brown sugar; stir occasionally, until the onions caramelize and turn a deep golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.

In a small skillet over medium heat, add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add sliced sage leaves and saute until lightly crisp. Remove from heat.

Using a hand-held potato masher or an electric mixer, mash potatoes to desired consistency. Add the caramelized onions and the crisp sage leaves in olive oil to the potatoes. Season with coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir until well blended. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt before serving.

You might also like:

Roasted Acorn Squash with Honey-Lime Glazed Pepitas




Roasted Acorn Squash with Medjool Dates and Toasted Almonds




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Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipe: Roasted Acorn Squash with Honey-Lime Glazed Pepitas

American Thanksgiving. It's all about the big bird. Or is it?

Every year it's the same thing: Cooks everywhere spend countless hours debating the merits of free-range, organic, grass fed, wild, and frozen turkeys. Then when they finally decide on a turkey, they spend even more hours debating how to cook it: Will brining make the meat succulent? Should it be basted every hour? And what about the stuffing? Every family has that relative who insists on stuffing the turkey. So should you stuff the turkey and risk salmonella poisoning for your guests or incur your Aunt Edna's wrath? These are not easy questions.

That is why my favorite part of Thanksgiving has always been the side dishes. You know them-- the perennial favorites such as cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, winter squash, string beans, and Brussels sprouts. Probably like most of you who celebrate Thanksgiving, I expect these dishes to grace the Thanksgiving table every year, but sometimes they need a little spicing up.

Starting today, and for the next four weeks, I will share a recipe for a favorite Thanksgiving side dish with a twist. Think of it as your old favorites going for a make-over; they'll still be your favorites but only better.



Rather than traditional butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, this acorn squash has some Latin flare. A tangy, spicy lime and honey glaze contrasts deliciously with naturally sweet acorn squash, while peanuts and pepitas add earthiness and crunch. This sauce also works wonderfully on butternut squash and sweet potatoes.

As for all those questions regarding turkeys, just call one of the dozen or so turkey hotlines that are there to help you with your bird. But really, how much turkey talk can one take?

Roasted Acorn Squash with Honey-Lime Glazed Pepitas
Makes 8 servings
Print recipe only here.

2 acorn squash, seeds removed, and cut into 8 equal wedges
2-3 teaspoons olive oil for brushing squash
1/4 cup unsalted peanuts
1/4 cup unsalted pepitas**
juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 teaspoon lime zest
3 tablespoons quality honey
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
salt, to taste


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking pan with tinfoil (for easy clean up). Brush the flesh of the squash with olive oil and roast flesh side down for 40-45 minutes, or until tender.

In a small skillet over medium heat, add peanuts and pepitas. Heat until golden brown and they begin to pop. Remove from heat.

In a small bowl, combine lime juice, lime zest, honey, water, vinegar, cayenne pepper, cumin, and salt. Whisk until smooth. Just before you're ready to serve the squash, add the sauce to the pan of toasted peanuts and pepitas. Heat on medium until the sauce begins to bubble and becomes syrupy, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and drizzle over the cooked squash. Serve immediately.

**Pepitas is the Spanish name for pumpkin seeds and are used often if Mexican food. They're available at Mexican markets, specialty markets such as Whole Foods, and many supermarkets. Pumpkin or sunflower seeds make good substitutes.

You might also like:

Roasted Root Vegetables with Maple Sage Glaze





Roasted Acorn Squash with Medjool Dates and Toasted Almonds





Butternut Squash Risotto with Rosemary, Walnuts, and Blue Cheese




I'm sending my acorn squash to Jeanne of Cook Sister who has chosen for the love of gourd for this month's WTSIM.

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