Ground Beef & Apple Filled Acorn Squash Halves

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 medium acorn squash
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups apples, pared and chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins
• salt
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons margarine or 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Recipe

• 1 heat the oven to 400°f.
• 2 cut each of the squash in half and remove the seeds and fibers.
• 3 place the squash, cut sides down, in an ungreased baking pan.
• 4 then add water to the depth of 1/4-inch and bake, uncovered, until the squash is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.
• 5 while the squash is baking, cook and stir the meat in a large skillet until it is brown.
• 6 drain off the excess fat.
• 7 remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the 1 1/2 ts of salt as well as the cinnamon, the coarsely chopped tart apples and the raisins.
• 8 when the squash is cooked, turn them so that the cut side is up and remove them to a platter.
• 9 drain off any remaining liquid in the pan and dry.
• 10 scoop out the pulp from the acorn squash, making a shell that is 1/4-inch thick all the way around.
• 11 season the shells with salt to taste.
• 12 mash the pulp and mix in the meat mixture.
• 13 return to the shells, piling them full and sprinkle with 1 tb of brown sugar on each.
• 14 drizzle with the melted butter.
• 15 bake uncovered until the apple is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.
• 16 serve hot.
• 17 note: you can substitute a combination of 1/2 lb lean ground beef and 1/2 lb of bulk lamb sausage for the 1 lb of lean ground beef.