Turkey-Stuffed Butternut Squash

Turkey Stuffed Butternut Squash recipe with zucchini, spinach, and mushrooms It’s a hearty, wholesome meal that’s equal parts comforting and delicious!

If you’re like me and you’re all about a protein and veggie-packed wholesome meal, you’re going to go wild over this easy weeknight dinner!

It combines lean protein with a variety of fresh vegetables like zucchini, baby spinach, and mushrooms, for a micronutrient-rich low-inflammatory dinner recipe. It happens to be paleo and AIP friendly for anyone asking!

Simply roast up a winter squash, cook up some seasoned turkey with your favorite veggies, and stuff it all together!

I find this recipe makes enough for a couple of generous servings, but you can easily scale it up if you’re cooking for the family or meal prepping for the week. 

Each bite is packed with protein, fiber, and a ton of flavor. Plus, the combination of roasted squash and seasoned turkey will leave you feeling satisfied and bursting with energy. 

Let’s discuss the basic ingredients for this easy dinner recipe.

Ingredients for Turkey Stuffed Butternut Squash

Everything you need for this turkey-stuffed butternut squash recipe is simple, wholesome, and easy to find. It’s truly the perfect weeknight meal!

Butternut Squash: The star of the show! This delightful winter squash is sweet, nutty, and tender when it’s roasted. These halves are the perfect edible bowls for your savory filling.

Lean Ground Turkey: Lean, protein-packed, and a blank canvas for the spices and veggies in this recipe.

Onion and Garlic: These amazing aromatics build the flavor base in our turkey-stuffed butternut squash recipe. I find you can dial up the amount of garlic to match your personal tastes, but don’t go too overboard on the onion!

Zucchini Squash: Not only is this a great ingredient for building out this dish’s strong, veggie base, but it’s high in Vitamin C and fiber! Oh, and it also contains lutein and zeaxanthin which are powerful antioxidants.

Baby Spinach or Kale: Optional, but I love the extra nutrients and bright green color you get from these leafy greens!

Apple: Adds crunch and a hint of sweetness that really brings this recipe into fall flavors territory. Toss in some dried cranberries for extra sweetness too!

Olive Oil or Avocado Oil: For roasting and sautéing. It adds richness and helps everything cook evenly. It’s also loaded with healthy fats and antioxidants. So, it’s a nutritional powerhouse!

Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Essential for seasoning both the squash and the filling. Add in some red pepper flakes for a little heat.

Mushrooms: A great way to add texture to this recipe while adding a ton of nutrients to the dish. I also find mushrooms bulk this dish out to make it more filling!

Ground Ginger: Warm and slightly spicy. This ingredient works so well to inject a hint of fall flavor into our butternut squash.

Dried Oregano: For a subtle, herby kick that works to offset the warming ginger.

Recipe Customizations

• Swap ground turkey for your favorite ground meat, such as ground chicken, ground beef, ground pork, or ground sausage. Even a plant-based crumble works if you’d like a vegetarian option.
• Add your favorite veggies or fresh herbs to make this even more nutritious. Carrots, bell peppers, white onion, broccoli, brussels sprouts, sweet potato and sun-dried tomatoes are all great options.
• Stir in cooked quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, or farro for a heartier filling. If you go for quinoa, you’ll also get a hit of extra protein!
• Don’t skip the cheese if you love a melty topping. Any cheese will work here, but feta or goat cheese are especially tasty if you want to stray from mozzarella or parmesan cheese.
• ​If you have leftover roast turkey from Thanksgiving and cranberry sauce, feel free to use these in the stuffing mixture.
• Swap out the butternut squash for acorn squash, kabocha squash, or even sweet potatoes.

Now that we’ve covered the simple ingredients, let’s make this hearty complete meal!

How to Make Turkey-Stuffed Butternut Squash

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise with a sharp knife and scoop out the seeds.

Brush the squash with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. 

Place your squash cut-side down on a large baking sheet and roast for 30 to 45 minutes (depending on the size) until tender and golden brown.

Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Sauté the onion and garlic until it’s fragrant, then add in the mushrooms and chopped apple. Cook until these vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ground turkey and cook until it’s fully browned. 

Stir in the chopped zucchini and continue cooking until fork tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Then, season with salt, pepper, and your spices of choice.

Lastly, stir in spinach or kale (if you’re using it!) and cook until wilted. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Once the squash is roasted, flip the halves cut-side up and spoon the turkey mixture evenly into each half. Top with the cheese here if you like!

If you have added cheese, bake the stuffed squash for an extra 5-10 minutes, until everything is heated through and the cheese is melted.

Serve warm, straight from the squash bowls, and enjoy!

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Recipe Tips:

• Roast the squash cut-side down first. I find this helps it caramelize evenly and prevents the squash from drying out.
• Sauté the filling ingredients separately. If you try to cook everything in the oven, you risk the filling being crunchy.
• If you’re meal prepping, you can roast multiple squash halves in advance and store the filling separately. You can then assemble and bake just before serving. I find this is awesome for those busy weeks when you want something hearty but can’t justify the bake time needed here.
• The leftovers are incredible! Just remember to reheat them gently in the oven to keep the squash tender.

Whatever your week looks like, this turkey-stuffed butternut squash is cozy, nutritious, and satisfying. It is one of my favorite recipes for meal prep during the cooler months, and is even suitable for the holiday table too.

If you loved this turkey-stuffed butternut squash, why not try a few more fall-inspired recipes?

More Fall Recipes:

• Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and Beets
• Butternut Squash Mushroom Bacon Frittata
• Butternut Squash Hash with Apples, Sausage, and Kale
• Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai
• Roasted Butternut Squash and Pear Salad with Lentils

​Put it on constant rotation during the fall and winter months!

Turkey-Stuffed Butternut Squash

4.73 from 22 votes

Roasted butternut squash stuffed with ground turkey and vegetables makes for a hearty, lower carb dinner recipe perfect for lovers of whole foods!

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Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 butternut squash roasted, see note
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil or coconut oil
• 1/2 small yellow onion finely chopped
• 1/2 apple peeled, cored, and chopped
• 2 cups mushrooms chopped
• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 medium zucchini squash chopped
• 4 cup baby spinach
• 1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger optional
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt to taste

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Chop the tip and tail off the butternut squash and scoop out the seeds and innards. Drizzle the flesh with avocado oil (or oil of choice) and sprinkle with sea salt. Place butternut squash cut-side down on a large baking sheet. Roast for 45 to 60 minutes (depending on the size of the butternut squash), until flesh is soft when poked with a fork.
• While the squash is roasting, prepare the turkey filling. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high and add the onion and apple. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking another 3 minutes.
• Move the vegetables to one side of the skillet and add the ground turkey in the open space. Allow it to brown 1-2 minutes on one side, then flip and brown for 1-2 minutes on the other side. Stir the ground turkey in with the vegetables.
• Add the remaining ingredients and stir to incorporate. Cover and cook 5 minutes, or until the turkey is cooked through and the zucchini has softened.
• Stuff the butternut squash halves with desired amount of turkey filling. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste and enjoy!

Notes

This recipe makes enough filling to generously fill 2 large butternut squash (4 halves), or 4 small butternut squash (8 halves). You can choose the amount of butternut squash you roast based on the amount of people you’re serving.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1Stuffed Butternut Squash · Calories: 494kcal · Carbohydrates: 64g · Protein: 33g · Fat: 17g · Fiber: 20g · Sugar: 28g

Author: Julia

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: butternut squash recipes, dinner recipes, healthy recipes, stuffed butternut squash recipe, turkey-stuffed butternut squash

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