One of our favorite restaurants in town serves an oven roasted Kabocha squash with shaved Parmesan and peppered pepitas. It’s phenomenal.
And, Kabocha squash isn’t that easy to find in our neck of the woods.

I was first introduced to this magical wonder years ago while living in Portland. I had every angle of fresh produce at my fingertips. It truly was foodie heaven.

A Kabocha squash is actually a Japanese pumpkin, often used in tempura, believe it or not.
It has a flavor profile somewhere in between a butternut squash and a sweet potato, but with a silky sweet texture more along the lines of velvet.

It’s incredible. You really must try this sweet gem.

This recipe is nothing fancy. It’s not difficult and involves very little – the magic really is in the squash and simply comes from a Craving4More of it!

Stuffed Kabocha Squash

1-2 small Kabocah squash
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup green onion, diced
1/2 cup wild rice
1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
Hampton Salt Co. Rosemary Artisan Salt
freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Slice the top off of the squash and scoop out the strings and seeds. Place the top back on, wrap in foil, and bake for about 90 minutes. The squash should be soft, but still hold its form. (By the way, the skin is edible and quite delicious, so don’t worry about peeling – it becomes soft and wonderful during baking).

Meanwhile, cook the wild rice with about 1 cup of water in a small pot, bringing to a boil and then allowing to simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes.

In a separate pan, brown the beef, seasoning well with Rosemary Salt and pepper.
Once cooked, combine the wild rice, ground beef, and onions. Stir until well combined.

Remove the cooked squash from the oven. Spoon in the beef and rice mixture, and then top with grated cheese.

Delicious.

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