Turkey Mushroom Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash is a simple, nutritious dinner. Filled with winter flavors, naturally gluten free + perfect for a quick meal! This stuffed acorn squash recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner!
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This Turkey Mushroom Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash is perfect for eating on a cold fall/winter night.
Acorn squash gets roasted to perfection and tossed with protein packed turkey, mushrooms, apples and melty cheddar cheese for the perfect salty and sweet combo.
Done in under an hour and SO easy to make, this stuffed acorn squash recipe is going to be your new favorite.
If you’ve never made stuffed acorn squash, you’re in for a treat. I love making stuffed squash recipes, and they’re some of the most popular recipes on my website!
Every fall these Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash Boats and Paleo Turkey Taco Stuffed Delicata Squash are always a hit!
Stuffed squash recipes are great because they’re affordable (it’s always great to eat in season!), they’re packed with great healthy carbs, and they’re just super yummy!
This Turkey Mushroom Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe is the ultimate cheesy, filling, protein packed delicious dinner!
Like all great dinner recipes – this was made with only a few ingredients, and done in under an hour.
Ingredients for Stuffed Acorn Squash:
To make stuffed acorn squash you’ll need acorn squash, chicken stock, mushrooms, turkey, apples, olive oil, spices and cheese! There is a list of substitutions later on in this post.
Lean ground turkey, mushrooms + apples are seriously the most delicious combination!! We love this recipe because it’s very versatile.
You can leave off the cheese for an awesome, hearty, paleo/whole30 meal, or you could even add some rice or quinoa if you’re looking for a heartier, more carb based meal!
(I’m slightly biased on the whole cheese thing though, cause.. I mean…look at that bubbly, brown, cheesy goodness!!)
How to cut and prepare acorn squash
- To cut acorn squash, slice from the stem towards the pointed edge of the squash directly down the middle. Acorn squashes have ridges in them, so if you can find a ridge to guide the knife through it will be easier to cut
- Once the acorn squash is cut in half, scoop out the seeds. You can just use a regular spoon. Make sure you scrape the inside of the squash until it is smooth and not stringy. Discard the seeds.
- Your acorn squash is now ready to roast!
How to make stuffed acorn squash:
Don’t be fooled by the many steps, stuffed acorn squash is actually easy to make!
Step 1: Cut, prep + roast your acorn squash.
Step 2: While the acorn squash cooks, cook your turkey, apple, mushroom filling.
Step 3: When the acorn squash is finished roasting, scoop out the filling to create ‘boats’ and add to the turkey mixture.
Step 4: Stir the filling together so it’s evenly mixed.
Step 5: Stuff the acorn squash
Step 6: Top with cheese and bake!
Can I make this stuffed acorn squash paleo or whole30?
Yes. To make this Turkey Mushroom Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash paleo or whole30 just leave off the cheese!
Will this recipe also work with spaghetti squash?
I haven’t tried making this recipe with spaghetti squash but I’m sure it would be delicious! Check out this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash Boats to see how to cook the squash.
I would follow the directions in that post and just sub in this filling instead of the chicken/broccoli filling.
How to store stuffed acorn squash:
I would not recommend freezing the stuffed acorn squash, but it does hold well in the refrigerator. It will be fine for 3-4 days in the fridge.
If you want to make the filling/stuff the acorn squash ahead of time you can also do that and bake when you’re ready to eat!
What kind of apples should I use?
You can use any type of apple in this recipe and it will be yummy, however – I prefer honey crisp apples! They’re my favorite.
Substitutions for stuffed acorn squash:
- Meat– You can use ground beef, ground pork, sausage or ground chicken instead of turkey in this recipe if you’d like. We also have a Beef Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe.
- Whole30/Paleo – simply omit the cheese
- Mushrooms – If you don’t like mushrooms, omit them. You could also add in some chopped onions in their place, but I would halve the amount.
- Herbs – If you don’t have fresh rosemary, sub with 1 tablespoon dried rosemary. You can also sub with thyme.
- Cheese – Cheddar, mozzarella or gruyere are all delicious!
- Vegetarian – I haven’t tried making this vegetarian, but I think it would be delicious if you subbed in chickpeas and a mix of quinoa or rice as the filling.
- WW Freestyle – The only points in this recipe come from the olive oil and cheese. Feel free to sub/adjust to have a lower point meal. Points calculated using 99% fat free turkey
Other healthy dinner recipes to try:
- Paleo Turkey Taco Stuffed Delicata Squash
- Beef Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Whole 30 Greek Chicken Spaghetti Squash Bake
- Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash Boats
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 2 whole acorn squash cut in half
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 1/2 cups baby bella mushrooms chopped
- 1 cup honey crisp apples peeled + chopped in small pieces
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 2 teaspoon fresh rosemary chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, gruyere or mozzarella all work great!)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees
- Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment + spray with olive oil to prevent squash from sticking
- Slice acorn squash in half, scoop out seeds and place flat on sheet sprayed with olive oil.
- Bake the squash for 20 minutes, until it is tender when pierced with a fork
- While the squash cooks - heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Sauté turkey in olive oil for 10-15 minutes until brown.
- While the turkey is cooking, chop mushrooms, apples + herbs.
- Add in chopped mushrooms, apples, chicken stock, and spices to the pan with the cooked turkey. Sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
- When the squash is done, remove from the oven + scoop out most of the cooked center, leaving a little bit of filling in the acorn squash.
- Add the squash filling to the turkey/mushroom/apple mixture in the pan+ stir until completely mixed in.
- Scoop the turkey/squash mixture back into the squash + top with cheese of choice
- Bake them at 450 for 5-10 minutes until cheese melts. Optional: broil for 2-3 minutes so the cheesy gets crispy.
Video
Notes
- Meat- You can use ground beef, ground pork, sausage or ground chicken instead of turkey in this recipe if you'd like. We also have a Beef Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe.
- Whole30/Paleo - simply omit the cheese
- Mushrooms - If you don't like mushrooms, omit them. You could also add in some chopped onions in their place, but I would halve the amount.
- Herbs - If you don't have fresh rosemary, sub with 1 tablespoon dried rosemary. You can also sub with thyme.
- Cheese - Cheddar, mozzarella or gruyere are all delicious!
- Vegetarian - I haven't tried making this vegetarian, but I think it would be delicious if you subbed in chickpeas and a mix of quinoa or rice as the filling.
- WW Freestyle - The only points in this recipe come from the olive oil and cheese. Feel free to sub/adjust to have a lower point meal. Points calculated using 99% fat free turkey
Samantha
Question! Would this recipe also work with spaghetti squash? If so, would the cook time or temperature change?
The Clean Eating Couple
Hi Samantha, I’m not sure how this would work with a spaghetti squash… The filling of spaghetti squash is much more water-y than acorn squash. I would recommend just cooking your spaghetti squash and turkey mixture separately, shredding the spaghetti squash and then serving the turkey over it when you’re done. Hope that helps!
Kimberly Baxter
Wonderful recipe! A family favorite. A great way to get my kid to eat acorn squash!
The Clean Eating Couple
So glad you like it, Kimberly!!
karen
can i subtitute the mushroom with somthing else
The Clean Eating Couple
Hi Karen – there is a list of substituions in the recipe. If you don’t have or don’t like mushrooms, simply omit them.
Dilyn
This is so delicious! I’ve made it several times. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
The Clean Eating Couple
I’m so glad you like it, Dilyn!
Whitney
Did you use red or green apples?
The Clean Eating Couple
Hi Whitney, You can use either. I prefer red apples but any type of apple will work!
Jenn
This is a perfect fall meal. It’s so simple to make and so filling and delicious!
The Clean Eating Couple
Thank you so much!! I totally agree- it’s so cozy and yummy for fall!
Amy
The ingredients say ground turkey but in the instructions,#9,
you refer to sausage. Is it turkey sausage or just ground turkey?
Thank you. Looks so good!
The Clean Eating Couple
Hi Amy – It’s just ground turkey, that was a typo. However, you can make this with sausage, turkey or ground beef. It’s delicious no matter what you use!
Amy
Thank you so much for the quick reply. I just made it (using ground turkey) and the filling is very tasty! Since I’m not ready to eat it yet, I’m skipping step #10 and storing the filling and squash boats separately, to bake later. I’m also thinking if that works, this is going to be a great addition to Thanksgiving dinner.
Angela Lee
I made this without the apples and it was amazing! I will definitely be making again and can’t wait to try it with the apples. I love following The Clean Eating Couple on Instagram.
The Clean Eating Couple
I’m so glad you liked this recipe, Angela! And so happy you’re following 🙂
Ryan
SO delicious! The perfect combination of yummy fall flavors! Family approved from a very picky bunch and super easy/ quick to make. We added goat cheese on top due to dietary reasons and it was still very good! I’ll definitely be mking this again!
The Clean Eating Couple
I’m so glad you liked this recipe, Ryan! I’m totally going to try this with goat cheese – it’s my favorite type of cheese so I’m sure it’s delicious!
Kristina
Healthy + satisfying recipe full of delicious Fall flavors!
The Clean Eating Couple
So glad you liked them, Kristina! They’re the ultimate fall dinner 🙂
Dee K
Is this recipe for 2 acorns, halved or 2 acorn halves? The way I read it you’d use 2 acorns but recipe implies 1 acorn.
The Clean Eating Couple
The recipe is for 2 acorn squash. You cut them in half, so there are 4 halves.
Lori
Loved the the stuffed acorn squash. I used butternut because that is what I grew in my garden. It turned out amazing.
The Clean Eating Couple
Thank you so much Lori! Glad it worked well with the butternut squash + so cool that you grew it yourself!
Terri
This was so good. Tastes like Fall. Definitely making it again!
The Clean Eating Couple
So glad you liked it, Terri! It’s one of my favorite fall recipes!
Lindsay Daniels
I made this tonight and it was a hit! So delicious! I did add onions to mine because I’m in love with onions. 😉
The Clean Eating Couple
Thank you so much, Courtney! Glad you liked it. Onions/fresh garlic are a great addition!
Jenn
So easy and so delicious! The whole family loved it!
The Clean Eating Couple
I’m so glad you + your family liked it, Jenn!
Meghan
OMG this is DELICIOUS!!! I used spicy turkey sausage, chopped onion and garlic. YUMMM!!!
The Clean Eating Couple
Thank you so much, Meghan! I’m glad you liked it – I need to try it with spicy turkey sausage, that sounds so good!
Sharon
Super Delicious and easy to put together. Big hit with my hubby too! I will make this again!
The Clean Eating Couple
So glad you liked it, Sharon! It’s one of our favs!
Liz
Wow, I love this so much! I’ve made this two times now on separate Sundays and reheated all week for my work lunches. It reheats really well. I haven’t gotten to try it with the rosemary yet. I did add garlic and allspice and really like the flavor those added. Will definitely be making this regularly from now on.
The Clean Eating Couple
I’m glad you like them, Liz! They reheat super well. Love the addition of the garlic + allspice!
Vicky
Great recipe and incredibly flavorful! I made the recipe as is with the exception that I kept the acorn squash in 10 minutes longer before stuffing it with the turkey (because it wasn’t tender yet). Highly recommend and look forward to making again!
The Clean Eating Couple
So glad you liked it, Vicky! Sometimes acorn squash needs a little bit longer to cook depending on how ripe they are!
Ashley
This recipe is so easy and delicious! My fiance already asked for me to make it again 🙂 Thanks Liz for so many healthy, yummy recipes!
The Clean Eating Couple
Thank you so much, Ashley! That makes me so happy to hear. Love that you + your fiancé enjoyed it!
Vanessa
Such a great fall recipe! Very filling, delicious and easy to put together!
The Clean Eating Couple
Thanks, Vanessa! It’s one of our favorite fall meals too 🙂
SARA M WEISBRODT
Husband approved! Delicious and perfect flavor for the holidays
The Clean Eating Couple
Yay! Love to hear that! Thanks for trying the recipe!
Lisa
I am not a fan of squash but my husband loves it. I found this recipe and thought it would work for both of us and boy does it, I used sausage and it was delicious! I am sure all the ideas for filling would be just as good. I have made this twice already and both times I ate every bite! I can’t think of any other way I will ever enjoy squash! Thank you!
The Clean Eating Couple
So glad you liked it, Lisa! It is really yummy with sausage!
Amber
It was a great, simple recipe and tasted amazing. I added plant based ingredients such as vegan mozzarella and plant based italian sausage. It was hearty and filling.
The Clean Eating Couple
Thank you so much, Amber! Glad you enjoyed it + love that you were able to make it vegan!
Jenny
I just want to preface this review by saying I am a terrible cook. I try, but if a recipe isn’t written out clearly enough for me, I somehow manage to mess it up! I followed this recipe to the letter and let me say – it was SO GOOD! I did end up with enough filling to fill an extra squash but other than that it turned out exactly the way it was supposed to and it was delicious to boot! Even my kids ate it (they are super picky but just picked out the mushrooms and ate everything else which is a miracle!) I really can’t wait to have this again and continue trying the recipes on this site because apparently they are “bad cook” proof!!
The Clean Eating Couple
I’m so happy to hear this, Jenny! I’m glad your whole family enjoyed the recipe and that it was easy to follow! Sometimes depending on the size of squash and the amount of filling in it you’ll wind up with extra filling 🙂
Morgan frangione
Loved this recipe, so easy and delicious
The Clean Eating Couple
Thanks, Morgan! Glad you liked it!
Cristina
Can I use water in place of the Chicken Stock? I have all of the ingredients on hand except for that and obviously I’m not sending my husband out to the store for just the stock right now due to the pandemic! Any other suggestions for substitution of the stock?? Thank you!!
The Clean Eating Couple
Yes! If you have veggie or beef stock that will work too 🙂