Acorn Squash with BBQ Beef & Pomegranate Arils
Recipe type: Dinner
Serves: 4
 
This recipe is easy peasy. A lot of my blog readers and podcast listeners ask me for quick and easy family recipes, and this weeknight dinner fits the bill. Plus, it's gorgeous, which should entice everyone at your table. The sweetness of the roasted squash, pomegranate arils, and barbecue sauce are a nice complement to the savory flavor of the beef.
Ingredients
  • 2 acorn squash, cut in half from stem to tip and seeded
  • 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • Kosher salt
  • Pepper
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean or higher)
  • ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley, plus more to taste
  • 3 tablespoons all-natural barbecue sauce
  • ¼ cup fresh pomegranate arils, plus more to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Brush the insides of the hollowed out squash with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, and season with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Place, hollowed side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake until tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
  3. While the squash is in the oven, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the meat, raise the heat to medium high, and cook, breaking up the large pieces, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain excess fat.
  4. Stir in the parsley and barbecue sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Remove the cooked squash from the oven. Fill each squash "bowl" evenly with the meat mixture. Top each with 1 tablespoon fresh pomegranate arils, and serve with additional arils and chopped parsley on the side.
Recipe by Lizs Healthy Table at https://liz.afones.com/2017/12/20/acorn-squash-bbq-beef-pomegranate-arils/