This recipe tastes like Thanksgiving. It’s February, but that’s ok! In fact, I’ll be roasting our Thanksgiving turkey this month. I read in Cooking Light Magazine that carving the turkey first and then roasting the individual pieces yields better results. I’ll be sure to share how it turns out!

In the meantime, make this tasty dish that’s hearty and flavorful!

Ingredients:

(Makes two halves, 4 servings)

1 acorn squash, cut horizontally and seeds removed

Cooking Spray

1 lb lean ground turkey

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup diced cranberries

1 tablespoon chicken broth concentrate (or 1 bouillon cube dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water)

1 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

1. Roast the acorn squash cut side down on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, or until tender.
2. 10 minutes before the squash is done, brown the ground turkey in a 10″ nonstick skillet. Do not drain. Transfer the turkey and any liquid to a separate bowl.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the 10″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add the celery and onion. Sauté until the onion begins to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cranberries. Sauté 1 minute longer, until fragrant. Add the turkey back in, along with the bouillon paste.
4. Season with sage and thyme. Transfer the meat and vegetable mixture into the acorn squash halves and serve hot, topped with freshly ground black pepper.
5. If you have leftovers, you can scoop out the acorn squash into a storage container and stir together with the meat filling to make a tasty squash hash.

The concentrated chicken broth really brings out the flavor in this dish. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!