Low Sodium Turkey Stuffed Acorn Squash
This low sodium turkey-stuffed acorn squash recipe is a hearty, satisfying, and delicious dinner idea! Acorn squash are roasted in the oven and stuffed with a filling made from turkey, carrots, onions, and herbs.
A fantastic low sodium fall or winter dinner idea that you can make with leftover turkey or ground turkey. See our step-by-step photos on how to make this delicious dinner below!
Want more low sodium dinner recipes? Try our low sodium chicken cacciatore, low sodium honey sesame salmon, and our favorite low sodium Salisbury steak.
This is one of our favorite fall dinners, and is a real treat to enjoy when turkey is on sale! You can make this with leftovers shredded roast turkey, or with ground turkey like I made below. Mix cooked turkey meat with sauteed carrots and onions, and stuff them into roasted acorn squash halves you can bake in the oven.
The combination of flavors in this dish is really wonderful. The sweet acorn squash pairs nicely with the hearty turkey meat and spiced vegetables. This stuffed squash makes a great full meal, especially when served up with low sodium Caesar salad or low sodium roasted asparagus, yum!
Notes from Our Kitchen
- It’s satisfying, tasty, earthy, and SO good!
- It has wonderful sweet/savory flavors.
- Perfect for guests or entertaining.
- A fun way to use ground turkey and squash together!
- Anyone can make this recipe by following our step-by-step photos and directions below.
Ingredients You’ll Need
See the recipe card below for a full list of instructions and ingredient amounts!
Turkey: I used ground turkey but you can also use shredded and cooked turkey that is leftover from Thanksgiving. Just make sure to finely chop or shred it first.
Acorn Squash: we got ours from a farm down the street, it’s one of my favorite fall squashes! This recipe also uses vegetables like carrots, celery, onion, and garlic.
Ground Sage and Black Pepper: a fall spice staple must-have.
I liked to top this squash with a little parmesan cheese (1 teaspoon per squash) and 1 teaspoon of low sodium Panko breadcrumbs for extra flavor.
Additions and Substitutions
You could make this recipe with ground chicken or even ground beef instead of ground turkey.
You could also make this recipe with a different variety of squash! Butternut squash, spaghetti squash, or delicata squash would all be excellent choices. Or even mini pie pumpkins.
Omit the breadcrumbs and cheese if desired; it’s optional at the end, but not needed.
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Halve the acorn squash carefully, and scoop out the seeds and discard them.
Step 2: Place the empty acorn squash halves on a sheet pan. Brush with a little olive oil and black pepper and roast the squash halves for about 40 to 50 minutes until they are fork tender.
Step 3: Meanwhile, in a large pan, brown the turkey meat for 8 to 10 minutes until it is cooked all the way through, with no pink showing. Remove meat from pan, discard any grease, and set aside in a bowl.
Step 4: To the same pan, cook the carrots and onions for 4-5 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Add in the garlic powder and gound sage.
Step 5: Add the cooked turkey to the pot, and cook over low heat until the mixture is well-combined and hot.
Step 6: Remove acorn squash from the oven, and carefully fill each squash with 1/4 of the cooked turkey mixture. Place the stuffed squash back in the oven for 15 minutes to heat.
Step 7: Remove from oven and top with parmesan cheese (or low sodium panko breadcrumbs) and a little extra ground black pepper or fresh herbs and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Yes you can, shred the cooked turkey meat, and toss it with the sauteed vegetables before stuffing the squash.
More celery, sliced mushrooms, or even walnuts would be a good addition to the filling.
Store leftover stuffed acorn squash halves in an airtight container (or wrapped well with plastic wrap or tin foil) and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Unwrap, and reheat in the microwave or oven, and enjoy hot.
Expert Tips
- Be extra careful when chopping the acorn squash in half – you need a bit of muscle, so be sure to use a sharp knife. If you need to, you can buy pre-halved squashes at the store for this recipe.
- I found that cooking the turkey and vegetables in a skillet first (rather than stuffing the squash with raw turkey/vegetables and cooking it in the oven) was better.
More Low Sodium Fall Recipes
- Low Sodium Cheeseburger Soup
- Low Sodium Penne Alla Vodka Recipe
- The best Low Sodium Waldorf Salad
- Low Sodium Pho Soup
- Low Sodium Roasted Baby Carrots
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Low Sodium Turkey-Stuffed Acorn Squash
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Skillet or Pan
Ingredients
- 2 acorn squash
- 1 lb ground turkey or see note below on using leftover turkey meat
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 carrots chopped
- 1 sweet onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon low sodium Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground sage
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 4 teaspoons low sodium Panko breadcrumbs optional as topping
- 4 teaspoons Parmesan cheese optional as a topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Halve the acorn squash carefully, and scoop out the seeds and discard them.
- Place the empty acorn squash halves on a sheet pan. Brush with half of the olive oil and black pepper and roast the squash halves for about 40 to 50 minutes until they are fork tender.
- Meanwhile, in a large pan, brown the turkey meat for 8 to 10 minutes until it is cooked all the way through, with no pink showing. Remove meat from pan, discard any grease, and set aside in a bowl.
- To the same pan, add the remaining olive oil and cook the carrots and onions for 4-5 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Add in the garlic powder and gound sage.
- Add the cooked turkey to the pot, and cook over low heat until the mixture is well-combined and hot.
- Remove acorn squash from the oven, and carefully fill each squash with 1/4 of the cooked turkey mixture. Place the stuffed squash back in the oven for 15 minutes to heat.
- Remove from oven and top with 1 teaspoon each of parmesan cheese or low sodium panko breadcrumbs and a little extra ground black pepper or fresh herbs if desired and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition estimate (for 1 serving)
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used in our kitchen. It will vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify your nutrition content and sodium amounts.
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