Acorn Squash Stuffed with Wild Rice/ Vegetable Mix

Serves 4, Prep: 15 minutes, Cook time: 47 minutes.

Ingredients:

- 2 Acorn Squash (raw)

- 4 oz. Uncle Ben's Wild Rice

- 1/2 Sweet Pepper (Orange color)

- Black pepper, to taste

- Garlic powder, to taste

- 2 Garlic cloves, diced

- 1 oz. Olive Oil (Extra Virgin)

- 8 Mushrooms (Baby Bella), diced

- 1/2 Medium-sized onion, diced

- Thyme, to taste

Directions:

- Bake Acorn Squash:  Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.  Cut Acorn Squash in half. Prepare a baking dish with olive oil. Place Acorn Squash halves in baking dish with cut side facing up.  Place in oven for 40-minutes or until slightly browned/ slightly soft on inside.  Begin cooking Wild Rice/ Vegetable Mix while Acorn Squash bakes in oven. 

- Wild Rice/ Vegetable Mix:  Cook Wild Rice according to stove-top directions. Turn off rice and drain then add diced mushrooms, garlic cloves, black pepper, onion, garlic powder, thyme and sweet pepper.  Mix with spatula.

- Filling:  Once acorn squash is slightly golden brown/ slightly soft on inside, fill each half with Wild Rice/ Vegetable mix then allow Acorn Squash to continue to bake additional 7 minutes.

- Allow to cool 5 minutes, then serve!

Recipe by: Neda Kashanian