These Mediterranean Stuffed Acorn Squash are so easy to put together and packed with delicious flavors. Made with roasted acorn squash, quinoa, cucumbers, olives, peperoncini peppers, sweet cherry peppers, sun dried tomatoes, and more!

Are these stuffed acorn squash not just screaming fall to you?!

I've been so excited to share this recipe with you ahead of Thanksgiving. They would make a stunning holiday dish and are an amazing option for vegetarians, those with gluten restrictions, or just to add a veggie option to the table!

The star of the show in this recipe is definitely the flavor packed quinoa salad. I have long used Mezzetta's lineup of products to easily level up the flavor in a dish and these stuffed acorn squash are no exception. The addition of the Sweet Cherry Peppers, Garlic Stuffed Olives, Golden Greek Peperoncinis, and Sun-Ripened Dried Tomatoes to the quinoa salad stuffing are not to be missed!

While this recipe is visually a knock out, I also love that it is so simple and easy to make. I mean, roasted acorn squash topped with a flavor packed Mediterranean quinoa salad... Yum! Not only are they great for a holiday, but for an easy dinner at home too.

Let’s make some stuffed acorn squash!

Before we get into the recipe here are some questions you may be asking:

How do you roast acorn squash?

Roasting acorn squash is oh so easy! Follow the steps below for the best roasted acorn squash.

Cut a tiny bit off of each end of your acorn squash so that each piece will sit flat on a baking sheet. This means the stem side and the bottom.
Cut the squash in half horizontally.
With a spoon, scoop out the seeds and middle of each acorn squash half.
Place each half of acorn squash cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, and a generous amount of sea salt and ground black pepper.
Flip each acorn squash half over on the baking sheet cut side down and roast for 40 minutes at 400°F. Halfway through the bake time, flip the squash so that the cut side is facing up.

What is the difference between acorn squash and butternut squash?

The difference is in both the flavor and the texture. Acorn squash are slightly sweet and nutty, but have a more fibrous texture while butternut squash are much sweeter and nuttier in flavor and smoother in texture making them a better choice for soups.

What does acorn squash pair well with?

Honest to goodness, anything! Since acorn squash have a milder sweetness of flavor, they make a great side dish to practically any flavor from sweet to savory. They especially help to balance out salty dishes such as meat or fish due to their soft sweetness and watery taste.

Can you eat the skin of an acorn squash?

The answer is yes! Much like roasting any kind of potatoes, the trick is to roast them until they are tender or the skin will be too tough to eat. Once it is tender, acorn squash skin is absolutely edible. So if you are roasting, no need to peel them!

Mediterranean Stuffed Acorn Squash Ingredients:

To make these Mediterranean Stuffed Acorn Squash, you will need the following ingredients. See the full recipe card below for detailed amounts and instructions!

Acorn squash - No surprise here! You will want one squash per two people. Can you guess how they got their name? Ha.
Olive oil - You will want a good quality olive oil since we will not only roast the squash with it, but also use it as a dressing for our quinoa salad.
Lemon juice - Fresh is always best. The juice of 2 whole lemons will do here.
Garlic - Mince away!
Quinoa - Choose your favorite kind. We always use tri-color.
Mixed greens - I suggest a good green mix or spring mix for this recipe.
Cucumber - Can't have a Mediterranean recipe without it!
Garlic Stuffed Olives - Two in one! These buttery olives are hand stuffed with cloves of garlic and add the perfect savory touch.
Peperoncinis - I urge you not to skip these peperoncinis. They bring the slightest bit of heat to the quinoa salad which is an ideal pairing for acorn squash!
Sweet Cherry Peppers - So flavorful and sweet. These peppers bring the best balance the savory olives and peperoncinis!
Sun-Ripened Dried Tomatoes - I could put sun-dried tomatoes on everything! They bring such a lush velvety flavor to the nutty quinoa salad.
Feta cheese - A tangy cheese is just what this dish calls for! Crumble it both in your salad and on top of the assembled squash for the best flavor.
Sea salt & black pepper - Always, always, always.

How to Make Mediterranean Stuffed Acorn Squash:

To make these Mediterranean Stuffed Acorn Squash, simply:

Prep - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut a tiny bit off of each end of your acorn squash so that each piece will sit flat on a baking sheet. This means the stem side and the bottom. Cut the squash in half horizontally and with a spoon, scoop out the seeds and middle of each acorn squash half.
Roast - Place each half of acorn squash cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, and a generous amount of sea salt and ground black pepper. Flip each acorn squash half over on the baking sheet cut side down and roast for 40 minutes. Halfway through the bake time, flip the squash so that the cut side is facing up.
Prepare the filling - While your squash is roasting prepare the quinoa according to the package instructions. Then in a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, quinoa, mixed greens, cucumber, Garlic Stuffed Olives, Peperoncinis, Sweet Cherry Peppers, Sun-Ripened Dried Tomatoes, and feta cheese. Mix well. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
Assemble - Fill the acorn squash halves with the quinoa salad and drizzle each with olive oil and an extra sprinkled of crumbled feta cheese.

NOTES:

Filling: You want your filling to be seasoned even more than usual so that it flavors each bite of squash as well.

To store: Separate the squash and the quinoa salad mixture into two separate air tight container or storage bags. When ready to eat again, reheat the squash for about 15 minutes at 350°F. Allow squash to cool for a few minutes and fill with remaining quinoa salad mixture.

Change It Up:

Make it dairy free - To make these stuffed acorn squash dairy free simply omit the feta cheese or substitute for a dairy free option.

Add more protein - Chickpeas would be a great addition to add more protein to the recipe! Simply add them to your quinoa salad mix.

Remove the quinoa - If you aren't a fan of quinoa you can omit it or replace it with orzo.

A special thank you to Mezzetta for sponsoring this post! As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you so much for supporting the brands that make Going For Grace possible!

More savory recipes you’ll love!

Name: Mediterranean Stuffed Acorn Squash
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 3 acorn squash, halved; 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided and more for topping; 4 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh and divided; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 cup cooked quinoa; 3 cups mixed greens, chopped; 1 cucumber, diced; 1/2 cup Mezzetta Garlic Stuffed Olives; 1/2 cup Mezzetta Peperoncinis; 1/2 cup Mezzetta Sweet Cherry Peppers; 1/4 cup Sun-Ripened Dried Tomatoes; 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled plus more for topping; Sea salt and black pepper

Mediterranean Stuffed Acorn Squash

Author: Lauren
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 6 acorn squash halves 1x
Diet: VegetarianDiet

Print Recipe

Description

These Mediterranean Stuffed Acorn Squash are so easy to put together and packed with delicious flavors. Made with roasted acorn squash, quinoa, cucumbers, olives, peperoncini peppers, sweet cherry peppers, sun dried tomatoes, and more!

Instructions

Prep - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut a tiny bit off of each end of your acorn squash so that each piece will sit flat on a baking sheet. This means the stem side and the bottom. Cut the squash in half horizontally and with a spoon, scoop out the seeds and middle of each acorn squash half.
Roast - Place each half of acorn squash cut side up on a rimmed baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and a generous amount of sea salt and ground black pepper. Flip each acorn squash half over on the baking sheet cut side down and roast for 40 minutes. Halfway through the bake time, flip the squash so that the cut side is facing up.
Prepare the filling - While your squash is roasting prepare the quinoa according to the package instructions. Then in a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, quinoa, mixed greens, cucumber, Mezzetta Garlic Stuffed Olives, Mezzetta Peperoncinis, Mezzetta Sweet Cherry Peppers, Mezzetta Sun-Ripened Dried Tomatoes, and feta cheese. Mix well. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
Assemble - Fill the acorn squash halves with the quinoa salad and drizzle each with olive oil and an extra sprinkled of crumbled feta cheese.

Notes

Filling: You want your filling to be seasoned even more than usual so that it flavors each bite of squash as well.
To store: Separate the squash and the quinoa salad mixture into two separate air tight container or storage bags. When ready to eat again, reheat the squash for about 15 minutes at 350°F. Allow squash to cool for a few minutes and fill with remaining quinoa salad mixture.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Additional Time: 0 hours
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Category: Savory

Keywords: stuffed acorn squash