Turkey Stuffed Delicata Squash with Mushroom Gravy

I love Thanksgiving- the cooking, the family, the traditions and the flavors. A pile of delicata squash has been taunting me for weeks now. After canning slices of about 15 pounds of it I was at a loss with what to do to the rest. I've seen recipes for stuffed delicata before but always in "boat" form. Whether you just like Thanksgiving flavors or you're aiming for a smaller holiday with an easier turkey main dish this stuffed delicata looks chic on the plate and pairs well with traditional flavors. From a budget standpoint 1 lb of meat is stretched very far here. In our household I sometimes use only 4 squash and then cook the extra meat with a little cheese on top in two ramekins for toddler meals.

Thanksgiving Turkey Stuffed Delicata
(serves 4)

6 delicata squash (total of roughly 4-5 lbs)
1 lb ground turkey
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 TBS dried thyme (This dish is all about strong flavors, feel free to reduce.)
1/2 TBS dried sage
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Gravy-

4 oz mushrooms (optional if you want plain gravy instead of mushrooms)
2 TBS butter
2 TBS flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper





1. Preheat oven to 350. Wash & dry squash. The skin on delicata squash does not have to be peeled off, it will soften as it cooks.

Cut ends off of squash.

The squash will now be hollow.

Take the seeds out of the squash.

Cover one end of each squash with tinfoil so the stuffing will stay in.

2. In a saucepan, saute 1 lb ground turkey. Add in the thyme, sage, pepper & salt.

Once turkey is cooked through add 1 cup of shredded mozzarella.

Stir in the cheese.

Stuff the hollow squash with the turkey. You want to push down a little bit to compress the filling but it shouldn't be packed too tightly.

Stand the squash up in a casserole dish, tin foil end down. Bake for 40-50 minutes. You should be able to easily pierce the skin of the squash with a knife when it's done and the squash will be soft inside.

While the squash is cooking you'll want to make you gravy. I am a huge fan of homemade gravy but if you don't want to do this step canned gravy would work in a pinch.

In a saucepan melt 2 TBS butter. Once melted add 2 TBS flour and whisk it together into a roux (paste).

Roux.

 Once your roux is complete add the chicken broth slowly and stir to mix over low.

Add 4 oz of chopped mushrooms and stir to combine. Continue to cook over low heat about 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Set aside until squash is done.

When the squash comes out of the oven carefully place the squash on a cutting board. I hold the squash part with a pot holder.

Slice the squash into rounds and arrange on the plate. Drizzle with mushroom gravy and dollop cranberry sauce in the middle if desired. Enjoy!