46 IMPRESS YOUR GUESTS

      Roasted Acorn Squash Bowls with Apple Bacon Pistachio Stuffing

       6 satisfying servings  45 min active time  1 hr 45 min start to finish

      BacoN

      8 ounces thick-cut bacon, uncured if available (Use turkey or vegan bacon, if preferred.)

      SquaSh

      3 acorn squash of similar size

      Olive oil

      Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

      StuffiNG

      4 tablespoons salted butter

      3 large apples, peeled, cored, and diced into -inch cubes (Use tart baking apples such as Honeycrisp, Jonagold, or Granny Smith.)

       cup diced shallots

       cup diced red onion

       cup stemmed and finely chopped

      Italian parsley, plus more for garnish

      1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

      (In a pinch, use rice vinegar.)

      2 teaspoons light or dark brown sugar (In a pinch, use granulated sugar.)

       teaspoon ground cinnamon

       teaspoon ground nutmeg or ground ginger

       teaspoon kosher salt

      Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

       cup chopped pistachios or nut of choice

      for ServiNG

      1 cups shredded mozzarella of choice (I use goat milk mozzarella or Miyoko’s Vegan Mozz.)

      tipS for SucceSS

      Cut the apples, onion, and bacon into similar-size pieces to ensure your stuffing is top-notch in texture and flavor.

      Prep Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil and set aside. Line a large plate with two layers of paper towels. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

      Cook the Bacon Place the bacon strips in a single layer on one of the pre-pared baking sheets and bake until crisp, 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the bacon. Transfer the bacon in a single layer to the pre-pared plate to cool. Coarsely chop the cooked bacon into small pieces and set aside.

      Prep the Squash Raise the oven temperature to 425°F (on the roast setting, if you have one). Use a sharp chef’s knife to slice each squash in half verti-cally, from stem to tip. Use a large spoon to remove the seeds and scoop out enough squash to make space for about  cup stuffing.

      Brush each squash half with olive oil, then sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Set the squash halves, bowl side down, on the second baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes. While the squash bakes, make the stuffing.