Sloppy Joe Stuffed Acorn Squash

There's still so much squash out there, it's naturally sweet and the texture is a great alternative to potatoes.  I married and altered two recipes from epicurious.com (recipes here and here) to come up with this great combination.  It's got some heat to it, but it's very tasty.  I also sauteed up some Rainbow Chard (from Tomatero Farm) with olive oil, onion and garlic.

Sloppy Joe Stuffed Acorn Squash
serves 4

For the squash:
2 nice sized acorn squash (from Full Belly Farm)
5 tablespoons olive oil (Bariani)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (Bariani has this too)
2 tablespoons minced peperoncini (Mezzeta)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (I had to use dried, but go fresh if you can)
1 teaspoon salt

For the Sloppy Joe: 

 

1 pound ground lean beef or turkey (Hulsman Ranch)

1/2 organic onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup) 

1 carrot, chopped (Tomatero Farm)

1 6-ounce can organic tomato paste

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon mild chili powder*

1 teaspoon paprika*

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

*I didn't have this at home so I subbed 1 TBSP. Chipotle Tabasco 

Start the Acorn Squash:

 

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place acorn squash halves, cut side up, on rimmed baking sheet. Brush both sides with 1 tablespoon oil. Whisk 4 tablespoons oil with remaining ingredients in list; divide dressing among hollows of squash halves. Brush dressing over cut surfaces, leaving excess dressing in squash hollows. Bake until squash are very tender and brown, brushing cut surfaces every 15 minutes with dressing in squash hollows, about 1 hour.

After the first quarter hour of squash roasting start the sloppy joes:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the ground beef or turkey until browned, about 7 minutes. Add the onion and sauté 2 minutes. Add the carrot and sauté 2 minutes. 

Stir in the tomato paste and 1 to 1 1/2 cups water (I used a little less water as I wanted the consistency kind of thick), stirring until the paste has dissolved. Add the garlic, chili powder, paprika, and oregano, and season with the salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until the mixture has thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.