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Roasted Acorn Squash with Hot Chicken Salad

Roasted until tender and lightly sweet with a bit of butter, a touch of brown sugar with dashes of nutmeg and cardamom  then stuffed with a savory chicken salad. It’s a delightful match up!
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch, Lunch and Dinner
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • Large baking dish, or 2 small dishes

Ingredients
  

  • For roasting the squash:
  • 2 acorn squash
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
  • 6 tablespoons brown sugar
  • For the chicken salad:
  • 2 cups cubed roasted chicken
  • 1 cup chopped celery, about 2 to 3 stalks
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped sweet onion
  • 1 arge McIntosh or Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped, about 2 cups
  • ½ cup toasted chopped pecans
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 1 small lemon
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • ¼ cup shredded or shaved cheese, fontina, Parmesan, cheddar or a blend
  • ½ cup crushed potato chips, optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400-degrees.
  • To roast the squash:
  • Rinse the squash and pat dry. Using a large, sharp knife insert the tip in the middle of the squash between one of the ridges, pointing the knife towards the end and away from you. Gently cut through the squash until it is almost cut into, but don’t try to cut through the stem. Remove the knife and pull the squash apart into two separate pieces.
  • Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds from the center of the squash. (Discard the seeds don’t toss these down your disposal!)
  • Bunch up two pieces of aluminum foil to create a “nest” for each half and place in the baking dish. This keeps the squash from rolling around in the pan. Using the tip of a sharp knife, gently prick each squash around the edges and in the center, taking care not to pierce through the skin.
  • In each half, add ½ tablespoon butter in the center then sprinkle ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg around the edges and in the center. Add 1-½ tablespoons brown sugar in the center of each half.
  • Cover with foil and bake at 400-degrees for 45 to 60 minutes or until the squash is tender. While the squash bakes, make the chicken salad.
  • To make the chicken salad:
  • Mix the chicken with the celery, onion, apples, pecans, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Season with the kosher salt and pepper then stir to blend together.
  • When the squash is very tender remove it from the oven. Using a fork gently pull some of the squash away from the skin, mixing it into the melted butter and brown sugar. Leave enough of the flesh around the edges to create a shell to hold the chicken salad.
  • Divide the chicken salad between each half.
  • Mix the cheese with the crushed chips and sprinkle over the top of the chicken salad.
  • Return to the oven and continue baking, uncovered at 400-degrees for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, until the chicken salad is heated through.
  • Let the dish rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

To save time, grab a roasted chicken from your favorite food market.