Loaded Butternut Squash Boats It's been SO long since I've posted a fun dinner recipe, so here it is! Loaded Butternut Squash Boats! A seasonal, wholesome recipe featuring Fall's finest harvest - butternut squash. Secondary to pumpkin of course. This recipe came pretty easily. I literally used all of my favorite savory flavors, put them together for this jazzy little number, et voila! This recipe was created. The butternut squash are stuffed with beef, garlic, red onion, mushrooms, and fresh herbs. Add in a little cream, sharp cheddar, and fontina cheese and this becomes the coziest recipe you'll have all Fall.
Loaded butternut squash boats
Let's talk about this recipe a bit. It's pretty simple and good for a weeknight recipe. It takes about an hour, start to finish. For most of the time, the butternut squash is in the oven. It takes about 20 minutes to make the filling. I started by cooking ground beef in a skillet, then adding in the red onion, mushrooms, and garlic. I let the onions cook down and then added in the fresh herbs and seasonings. At this point, I realized that I needed to change from a skillet to a pot. So, don't make the same mistake as me. Start with a deep pot of dutch oven. It works WAY better.
So after the transfer from the skillet to the dutch oven was complete, I added some beef broth and spinach. Four cups of spinach cooked down to about a handful of spinach (lol) and then I added in the cream and cheese. I pulled the butternut squash out of the oven and then created a little space in the squash for the beef. Added the beef and topped with cheese. Broiled for about 3-5 minutes. Dinner was served!
recipe modifications
- This dish is naturally gluten free, however, if you are doing whole30 or would like a dairy free version, simply omit the cheese and heavy cream.
Loaded Butternut Squash Boats
Course: lunch, dinnerCuisine: americanDifficulty: easy20
minutes45
minutes300
kcalIngredients
1 lb ground beef
4 cloves garlic, diced
½ red onion, roughly chopped
10 baby Bella mushrooms, roughly chopped
2 tbsps fresh thyme
1 tbsp fresh oregano
1 tbsp onion powder
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ cup beef broth
4 cups spinach
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups fontina cheese or mozzarella, additional for topping
red pepper, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
Parsley, to garnish
2 butternut squash
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut butternut squash in half and drizzle with olive oil and add salt and pepper. Bake in oven for 45 minutes.
- Add ground beef to a deep pot and sauce until fat begins to render. Add diced garlic, red onion, mushrooms, and salt and pepper. Cook until onions begin to soften. Add fresh thyme, oregano, onion powder, nutmeg, and a pinch of red pepper. Mix together and add beef broth and spinach. Allow spinach to cook down. Cook off excess liquid for about 5 minutes.
- Add heavy cream and cheese. Stir together and remove from heat.
- Remove butternut squash from oven. Gut out a few tablespoon of the butternut squash and add the beef and cheese filling. Top with additional fontina or mozzarella cheese and broil in the oven for 3-5 minutes. Garnish with parsley.
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So healthy and sooo delicious!!!
Thank you!
This dish was as gorgeous as it was delicious!
Thank you!
I know I can always count on you for an amazing savory dish! I love butternut squash as well as your style of cooking so naturally I thought these were delicious!
Thanks so much Crystal! Im so glad that you enjoyed this dish!
These were the perfect meal for dinner tonight. The butternut squash was mellow and creamy and the family loved it.
This came out so well! The butternut squash with the beef and spices made this the perfect comfort meal.
Thanks so much, I'm so glad to hear this!
Butternut squash is a favorite in my household. Thanks for this delicious recipe! It gave us a chance to enjoy our favorite but in a slightly different way! My family enjoyed it!
Music to my ears, thanks Capri!
These were SUCH a hit this weekend!! The filling was perfect and that fontina cheese was EVERYTHING! I'll be making them again for sure.
This made my day! Thank you!
You had me at butternut squash, my absolutely fave! The stuffing is so rich and perfect together.
I'm so glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a review!
Can't say enough good things about this recipe. My squash. boats were delicious and this isn't something I'd normally try but am really glad I did!
I'm so happy that you decided to step out of your comfort zone and give this recipe a try! I'm truly honored, thanks Jazz!
I saw this deliciousness on your instagram page, and knew I had to make it that night! The instructions were so easy and it turned out as you described it! Just delicious!
Thank you! So happy that you enjoyed this!
Oh My goodness these were so delicious! I’m so happy I came across this recipe. Full of flavor, and easy to make!
Thanks giving this recipe a try!