If you love winter squash, you are going to love this easy stuffed kabocha squash recipe! This recipe is vegetarian, but there is a simple way to make this stuffed squash vegan as well!!
If you love winter squash, you will want to check out all of my delicious Gluten Free Winter Squash recipes. I take you from appetizers to desserts with these flexible winter squash recipes.
(*This post was sponsored by Del Monte®. All opinions are my own.)
The holidays are upon us and this is the first year we are having vegetarian friends joining us for our Friendsgiving. Every year the turkey is the center of attention, the focal point of our celebratory table. It is important to me that I have something equally as nice for my friends.
When Del Monte® asked me to create a Friendsgiving recipe, I wanted to create something different from your run of the mill Thanksgiving fare. Something special, and memorable like this stuffed kabocha squash.
I am hoping this roasted kabocha squash recipe will look amazing next to the turkey, giving our vegetarian friends a meal to look forward to.
Can you make this kabocha recipe vegan?
To make this recipe vegan, just substitute the cheese for a dairy-free cheese!! One of my new favorite vegan cheeses is VioLife. I just found it at Whole Foods. Daiya and Kite Hill cheeses are also good.
Have you seen those big greyish green squash in your store? Roasted kabocha squash has a sweet flavor that cooks through beautifully. It makes a beautiful vessel for any stuffed winter squash recipe.
Many people ask where you can find kabocha squash. Kabocha squash is widely available, and I purchased this one at my local Walmart.
Walmart has some of the best prices in town. If you haven't visited your local Walmart recently, check out all of the delicious gluten-free foods! I wrote about Walmart's gluten-free selections so I could show you how much they have.
Have you tried Del Monte® Harvest Selects vegetables? Del Monte® takes quality seriously, and you can really taste the difference! Del Monte® is using non-GMO vegetables and has removed all BPA from their cans!
I feel good serving Del Monte® vegetables to my family!
Are you ready to see how easy it is to make this roasted kabocha squash recipe?
First some tips on cooking your kabocha squash:
Methods of cooking kabocha squash:
- You can roast the kabocha squash in the oven as I did for this recipe.
- If you are in a hurry, cut the squash open and scoop out the seeds. Place in a microwave-safe dish. Add a little water to the bottom of the dish. Microwave for 10 minutes until the squash is soft.
- Toss the kabocha squash on the grill. Follow the same steps above to remove the seeds, then grill on medium heat. Make sure to keep the lid down on the grill so it gets hot inside!
Can you make this recipe dairy-free?
You definitely can make this recipe dairy-free, making it vegan by using Daiya or Kite Hill dairy-free cheese.
How long do you roast the kabocha squash for?
Here is what the kabocha squash will look like with the seeds removed. Brush olive oil on the interior of the squash. Next, roast the kabocha squash for 20 minutes at 375 degrees in the oven to soften.
Instructions:
Cook the Del Monte® Fiesta Corn in a skillet with onion and red pepper. Walmart has both red pepper and onions for this in their produce department.
Add in Del Monte® Diced Tomatoes, black beans, green chiles, seasoning into the corn mixture. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.
Remove the squash from the oven and fill with the vegetable mixture. Top with cheese or dairy-free cheese (for a vegan stuffed kabocha squash). Place the squash lid back on top and bake another 22 minutes.
Don't you love melty cheese? The cheddar cheese I found at Walmart really makes this dish a show stopper! Definitely look for the cheese substitutes I mentioned to make this a vegan stuffed kabocha squash recipe!!
If you love to eat meatless, you will also love this vegetarian Gluten Free Mexican Casserole recipe.
More winter squash recipes to try:
Stuffed Kabocha Squash
Ingredients
- 1 kabocha squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 can Del Monte® Fiesta Corn drained
- 1 onion diced
- 1 can Del Monte® Diced Tomatoes
- 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup cheese Daiya if you are vegan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut the top off a kabocha squash and remove the seeds. Brush with one tablespoon olive oil and bake for 20 minutes. (Bake the lid stem side up too!)
- In a pan, heat the last tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the corn, tomatoes, black beans and seasoning. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove the squash from the oven.
- Stuff the corn mixture into the squash. Top with the cheese or cheese substitute. Put the lid onto the squash and bake for another 20 minutes.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition
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Frances
This was wonderful and is going to be in a favorite file. Love squash and especially kabocha which you can eat the entire thing skin and all. I added a bit of orange bell pepper in the mix and played a bit with the amounts of ingredients but followed otherwise. I did increase the temperature of oven to 425 to cook the kabocha sqush really well. I liked it even without cheese. Sprinkled with the scallions and had some Frontera mild tomato salsa on side for anyone who wanted it. Used vegetable broth to saute veggies to save on calories. A favorite for us. Thank you.
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you liked it Frances, thank you so much for coming back to let me know. I also think your tips will help other readers :-). Have a great day.