Winter Squash Surprise - Recipe

This a fun meal to serve. Everyone gets their own little baby "pumpkin", filled with yummy rice and cranberries.

1 cup wild rice blend, such as Lundberg
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
Carnival squash (one per person)
EVOO & EVCO
1 1/2 cups chopped zucchini
1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Dried cranberries
Goat cheese


Winter Squash Surprise


In a medium saucepan, combine rice with broth. Bring to a boil, stir, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 35 minutes, until just al dente. Remove from heat. Preheat oven to 425°. Cut off top ½ inch of squash; reserve tops. Trim bottoms if necessary to sit level. Scoop out seeds and strings. (save seeds to roast later!) Brush insides with EVOO. Sprinkle with coarse salt and ground pepper. Place squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Roast until barely tender, about 20 minutes for small squash, 25 minutes for medium squash. Meanwhile, place 1 tablespoon of EVCO in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add zucchini and cook until tender but not brown, 5–7 minutes. Add sage and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and stir to coat. Add cooked rice and simmer about 4–5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in handfull or two cranberries and and goat cheese (approx. 2 oz). Taste, and adjust seasoning. Remove squash from oven when ready. Turn over, spoon rice mixture into each squash and drizzle EVOO over top. Replace squash tops. Arrange squash in a roasting pan. Reduce oven temperature to 375°. Bake squash for 20 minutes; then remove tops and continue to bake until heated through, about 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving. Any additional rice mixture can be added to meal or saved for another time.