I don’t eat squash often enough, although I’ve always loved the way it tastes. During the fall and early winter squash is in abundance. They’re in all shapes and sizes, each tasting delightfully delectable. I was in Trader Joe’s and they had Delicata Squash on display along with several recipes. Don’t you just love when markets tempt you with tasty suggestions? I took a snapshot with my trusty cell phone camera and bought some squash. Trader Joe’s, your superb marketing tactics worked again! It inspired me to make the recipe for Delicata Squash with Gouda Cheese.
Enjoy my Delicata Squash with Gouda Cheese recipe!
- 1 Delicata Squash
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt
- pepper
- ½ cup shredded Gouda cheese
- ¼ cup of chopped fresh thyme
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Split the Delicata squash in half and scoop out the seeds
- Place the squash halves into a baking dish
- Drizzle the tops of the squash with olive oil
- Season with sea salt and pepper
- Bake the squash for 45 minutes
- During the last 5 minutes, take the squash out of the oven and fill the cavities with the shredded Gouda. Sprinkle with chopped thyme.
- Continue to bake until the cheese is melted.
- Serve
I decided to try the savory one with Gouda cheese and fresh thyme. It was delightful and perfect for a light lunch. The only thing I did differently was roast it in the oven instead of using the microwave. It tastes better that way. However, if you’re in a hurry, you can always zap it.
Delicata squash and other squash are some of nature’s healthiest foods.
Winter squash is an important source of carotenoids, which are antioxidants. The carotenoids in winter squash include alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-cryptoxanthin.
Even though we think of it as a type of starch, it comes from polysaccharides found in the cell walls. They are anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and will regulate insulin. One cup of baked winter squash will provide you with approximately 340 milligrams of omega-3 fats in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Although it doesn’t contain as high amount of omega-3 fats as a food like walnuts, it’s still beneficial and not fattening.
Adding Gouda to this delicata squash recipe is an option, and as an official cheese head, it was hard to resist. You can stuff it with just about anything you want including quinoa, nuts, seeds, etc.
What do you like to stuff in squash? Please leave a comment below.
Michele the Trainer says
October 26, 2013 at 5:48 amLove this blog and recipe…thyme is fantastic. Here’s a tomato-y way that you can add squash too. Just use squash instead of stringbeans/mushrooms, or “in addition to” (but then increase the sauce).
http://www.engineeringwellness.com/sexysoup/tomato-season-michele-the-trainers-spicy-heirloom-tomato-string-bean-sauce
Wanda Einfeldt says
December 11, 2013 at 1:58 pmOh my gosh, I love love love squash! It is a great side dish and oftentimes a dish in itself by stuffing it with some kind of ground lean meat in place of the cheese in your recipe 🙂 Your photos look so scrumptious I will have to give it a try too. Thank you!
Rebecca Forstadt-Olkowski says
December 11, 2013 at 4:23 pmHi Wanda. I love that you love squash because it’s so good. You’re right about adding ground meat or other fillings. The meat with cheese on top would be scrumptious. (a little higher in fat though) Thanks for your enthusiasm about such nutritious and tasty vegetables.