Acorn Squash

I adapted this to fit my needs {aka what I had in the fridge/cabinet} from this recipe. The original recipe (from Weight Watchers) is actually really good, too (My husband prefers the turkey & wild rice combo to my adapted ground beef recipe. You win some. You lose some, eh?)

The pictures are kind of crappy because I used my phone. I couldn't find my actual camera at the time and then I just became frustrated taking horrible pictures so I stopped. Also, the husband was laughing at me for taking pictures for a 'blog'. Don't worry, I told him he doesn't know what cool is. Luckily though, Lillie does.

And cool is squishing through squash seeds - also, great sensory exercise for kids! Double win!

Ingredients:

• 2 medium acorn squash {es..or is it 'ises' or is it..oh hell, I don't know. Just get two.}
• 1 lb ground beef. {I used lean beef because I like to pretend I'm healthy}
• small chopped onion
• 1/2 cup rice {I used instant white rice, because I needed to balance out the healthy lean beef with unhealthy white carbs}
• a few million garlic cloves - minced {okay, maybe not a million, but I use a lot of garlic so I'm guessing 10 or so. Just change it to your preference, problem solved!}
• an array of spices {again, your preference} I used sea salt, Cajun seasoning, pepper, garlic powder {I told you I liked garlic}onion powder and cinnamon. I know it may sound odd, but acorn squash and cinnamon are absolutely made for each other. I also suck at measuring so, your guess is as good as mine where amounts come in.
• cheese. Without cheese I could not survive. And neither shall this recipe. 
• water.

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. I suggest cooking the rice. I didn't cook it, I just threw it in with the ground beef mixture and some of the rice{s, or is it 'ises' or is it...shit, I did it again}were a little crunchy. Wasn't bad, just wasn't ideal.
3. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. {Allow children to play with seeds, laugh hysterically when they taste the squash and spit it right out immediately.}
4. Place halved squash face down in pan. {I had to use two}
5. Fill pan with...oh, I'd say a 1/4 cup water to 1/2 cup. Again, I'm a guess-timator kind of cooker.
6. Place in oven for about 30 minutes, or until you can poke the outside with a fork and it pops right in there, good buddy.
7. While you're waiting, go ahead and throw your onions & millions of garlic in a pan to saute. I used real butter to do this, but whatever floats your boat. You know me, unbalancing the healthiness of lean beef. 
8. Once you start to smell the garlicky goodness, throw your ground beef in there, with your spices and cook until done. 
9. When that's done, add your rice and mix all  together.
   *TASTE TEST*
10. If the taste test is a success, stop adding spices and stop adding more to your spoon to 'taste'. I know how that game plays out - you end up at the table already stuffed but you can't let anyone know that you've already eaten so much, so you continue to eat and then you gain 25 damn lbs in one year. {not that I know or anything.}
11. Ding!Ding! Squash is done. Pull it out, let it cool for 5-10 minutes, flip it over and fill up with ground beef mixture. I actually think you can get away with doing 3 because the mixture makes a lot. 
12. Add cheese. Glorious, glorious cheese.
13. Throw {not literally, you strong-armed freak, sheesh}it in the oven for another 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and filling is hot. 
14. Then pull it out and enjoy an awesome meal! 

Let me know if you try it - whether you love it or hate it or have a better adaption than I do. I am in no way a cook. I just do enough to impress my husband on occasion so he continues to think I am the most amazingly awesome human being he has ever come into contact with {ha!}

Enjoy!