Turkey isn’t the only thing getting stuffed for Thanksgiving. Try stuffing a honeynut squash with a wholesome wild rice mix with no cheese or breadcrumbs but lots of flavor.
Disclosure: The wine featured in this post was provided as a media sample. All opinions are my own.
Do you need a hearty dish at your table to welcome a friendly vegan to your table?
A Hearty Vegan Main Dish
I think a lot about what vegans eat for Thanksgiving. There needs to be something special on the table besides the usual side dishes (cranberry sauce, glazed sweet potatoes, and lonely mashed potatoes without giblet gravy).
Even if you’re not vegan, you can appreciate a sweet, baby pumpkin stuffed with wholesome goodness just for you.
Enter the honeynut squash filled with everything except cheese, meat, or breadcrumbs.
What is a honeynut squash?
As the love child of butternut squash and buttercup squash, a varietal similar to kabocha squash, honeynut squash has:
- deep, dark, orange flesh
- 2-3 times more beta carotene than butternut squash
- a sweeter, more pumpkin-y flavor than butternut squash
- the appearance of a mini butternut squash
- edible skin
It tastes great on its own, but how do you make it taste even better?
American Wild Rice Stuffing
Because of its truly American origins, wild rice is a MUST at your Thanksgiving table.
A grass seed from the Great Lakes region the mid West, wild rice has long been harvested and consumed by Native Americans.
I made a wild rice stuffing for this squash and received rave reviews from my normally carnivorous eaters.
I prefer using a wild rice mix blended with other rices. You can find these precooked in packages or preblended in the rice section. Just cook according to the package directions, preferably with vegetable stock and a dish and a dash of olive oil.
You can use leftovers to make wild rice fried rice.
Where does the flavor come from?
You can turn it into a savory filling with just a few other ingredients.
- Wild rice blend – Adds nuttiness and much more savory flavor than white rice.
- Vegan sausage – I used the Field Roast apple sage brand but Morningstar Farms or any other brand would work too
- Nuts and seeds – a combination of walnuts and pumpkin seeds add crunch and creaminess
- Dried cranberries – for sweetness and tartness. Dried cherries would be extra special if you have them
The Process
Time needed: 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
You should also have cooked wild rice prepared, cooked according to package directions.
- Prep honeynut squash
You don’t have to peel honeynut squash, but I prefer not eating tough skin. Peel, cut in half, deseed, and bake for 30 minutes or until tender. You should be able to easily pierce the flesh with a fork.
- Prepare wild rice stuffing
While the squash is baking, prep the stuffing. Chop the walnuts, vegan sausage, and onion. Saute the onion with vegan butter until soft and translucent. Add the vegan sausage and saute for 1-2 minutes longer.
- Finish stuffing in the pot
Turn off heat and add the cooked wild rice, walnuts, and dried cranberries.
- Stuff squash
Gently pile the stuffing into the cavity and on top of the neck of the honeynut squash. If some spills over, that’s ok! Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.
- Bake
Put tray of squash back into the oven for 10 minutes to heat up the rice and toast the pumpkin seeds.
- Serve hot
One per person as a side dish or 2 as a main dish.
Wine Pairing: Merlot
I made this recipe specifically to pair with the Decoy Merlot. It has cranberry and blackberry notes with a silky texture and not too much oak to overpower vegetarian dishes.
Also, I am firm believer that you should drink American wine with Thanksgiving dinner. You can find local wine in all 50 states, so celebrate this holiday with an American one!
Helpful Tips
- You could sub honeynut squash with butternut squash, delicata squash, or acorn squash. Just adjust the initial roasting time in the oven until the squash is cooked through.
- You can peel honeynut squash or butternut squash with a regular peeler. You may need to do a couple rounds to remove the layers of white flesh.
- You can make this ahead of time up until it is topped with pumpkin seeds. Pop in the oven with the pumpkin seeds for 20-25 minutes until the stuffed pumpkin is heated through.
- Variations – You could add a diced stalk of celery with the sauteed onion and herbs such as rosemary, thyme, marjoram, or tarragon.
- For a decadent drizzle, finish with aged balsamic vinegar as a garnish just before serving.
More vegan main dish inspiration
Easy Vegan Wild Rice Fried Rice with just 7 ingredients
Easy Roasted Garlic Green Beans with Walnuts (as a vegan main dish)
Fall Vegan Menu Paired with 2016 Napa Merlots
Vegan Twice Baked Honeynut Squash with Wild Rice
Ingredients
- 2 ea honeynut squash or 1/2 of a butternut squash
- 2 Tb vegan butter
- 1/2 ea onion small diced
- 3.5 oz vegan sausage, such as Field Roast or Morningstar brands small diced
- 1 c cooked wild rice
- 1/4 c walnuts rough chopped
- 1/4 c dried cranberries or dried cherries
- 2 Tb pumpkin seeds
- salt and pepper
- olive oil for baking the squash
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Peel honeynut squash. Cut in half, and scoop out seeds with a spoon.
- Put on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, so it doesn't stick to the pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until the flesh is tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.
- Heat a pan to medium heat. Add the vegan butter and onion. Saute and stir for 3-5 minutes until onions are soft and translucent.
- Add vegan sausage to the pan. Saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Turn off heat. Stir in walnuts and cranberries. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Pile stuffing into the cavity and on top of the cooked honeynut squash. Top with pumpkin seeds.
- Put squash back in the oven for 10 minutes until pumpkin seeds are toasted.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- You could sub honeynut squash with butternut squash, delicata squash, or acorn squash. Just adjust the initial roasting time in the oven until the squash is cooked through.
- You can peel honeynut squash or butternut squash with a regular peeler. You may need to do a couple rounds to remove the layers of white flesh.
- You can make this ahead of time up until it is topped with pumpkin seeds. Pop in the oven with the pumpkin seeds for 20-25 minutes until the stuffed pumpkin is heated through.
- Variations – You could add a diced stalk of celery with the sauteed onion and herbs such as rosemary, thyme, marjoram, or tarragon.
- For a decadent drizzle, finish with aged balsamic vinegar as a garnish just before serving.
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