I don’t know about you, but I’m a huge fan of routines.
I always wake up at 6 AM. I always eat the same breakfast (well, unless this is on the menu). I always drink a cup of green tea in the morning. I always make Mark breakfast.
And, most importantly, we always go to Trader Joe’s on Saturdays.
Now, I know I’ve already talked your ear off about how much I freakin’ love TJ’s, but allow me to add one more reason to the list.
Last Saturday, Mark and I got up super early at went to Trader Joe’s almost as they opened.
We scurried in, grabbed all of our grocery necessities, and made our final rounds when I spotted something glorious out of the corner of my eye.
A wild delicata squash appeared!
…erm, OK. It wasn’t wild. But it was only $1. An entire beautiful squash for a buck? I’ll take it!
As we headed to the car, I couldn’t contain my excitement over my thrilling gourd purchase: “I’m soooo excited to cook that delicata squash!” I exclaimed.
“…what?! We’re sharing the vehicle with something called ‘delicata squash’?!” Mark replied.
I realize that delicata squash isn’t as well-known as pumpkin, butternut squash, or spaghetti squash this time of year, but I’m here today to tell you why it should be.
You see, delicata squash is one of my favorite fall veggies because it’s so darn easy to cook and ridiculously flavorful and tender. While I’ve roasted it simply with coconut oil, cinnamon, and a nice drizzle of honey in the past (OMGYUM), I think stuffing the daylights out of it with fall veggies is just about as good of a dinner as you can make in 20 minutes.
Hello, 20-minute Kale-Stuffed Delicata Squash. Welcome home…to my mouth.
First up is the main attraction: el delicata squash. Delicata squash almost looks like a fat, yellow and green cucumber. The inside is beautifully orange, and it has such a sweet and satisfying taste. Because we’ll be roasting our squash today, even more of that addictive sweetness will shine as the natural sugars within the squash start to caramelize and get all happy. Caramelized vegetables is a wonderful, glorious thing.
Pro tip: you won’t need to peel your delicata; its skin becomes softer when it’s roasted, so you can totally eat it along with the flesh!
Next, the vegetation. We’re going to throw some brussels sprouts in with our yummy squash, and we’ll also sauté some beautifully green kale and protein-packed chickpeas with some sweet and sticky balsamic vinegar. Add some dried oregano and red pepper flakes to the mix, and I swear you’ll be a very happy camper.
This Kale-Stuffed Delicata Squash is a super satisfying weekday meal:
- It’s ridiculously cheap.
- It only takes 20 minutes from start to finish.
- It’s made with seasonal ingredients.
- It’s filling, healthy, and sooooo much yum.
Now that delicata squashes are popping up everywhere, you mustmustmust pick up one (or two, or three) pronto. When you have a quick and easy 20-minute meal like this in your back pocket, you’re going to want all the delicata you can possibly get your hands on.
PrintKale-Stuffed Delicata Squash
- Yield: 1 large meal, or 2 smaller meals
Ingredients
- 1 delicata squash
- 1 handful fresh brussels sprouts
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- salt + pepper
- 1 handful chopped kale, stems removed
- 1/4 cup chickpeas
- 1/8 tsp. dried oregano
- red pepper flakes (optional)
- 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Roast your Delicata and Brussels Sprouts: Slice your delicata in half longways, and scoop out the seeds. You’ll have two halves that look like boat – perfect for stuffing! Brush the edges of the delicata with 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, and place it cut side-down on the prepared baking sheet.
- Clean brussels sprouts, chop off the bottom, and slice in half. Place halved brussels on the baking sheet with the delicata.
- Toss brussels with 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until delicata skin is tender and brussels are browned.
- Make the Balsamic Kale and Chickpeas: When the oven has 10 more minutes, prepare the kale and chickpeas. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add kale, salt, and pepper, and sauté until kale softens and is bright green in color. Add chickpeas, oregano, and red pepper flakes, and mix with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon.
- Add balsamic vinegar, quickly covering the kale and chickpeas. The balsamic vinegar will instantly get sticky and coat the kale and chickpeas. Once this happens, quickly remove mixture from heat (the balsamic can easily burn).
- Assemble your Kale-Stuffed Delicata Squash: Carefully remove baking sheet from the oven. Place squash on a plate. Fill with the Balsamic Kale and Chickpea mixture. Top with roasted brussels sprouts. Drizzle with additional balsamic if desired.
Delicata is my favorite kind of squash too! I love to slice it and roast it with brussels sprouts, red potatoes, and garlic!! This looks fantastic :)
UM YUM!! That idea sounds incredible! Definitely trying it this season!
I made this tonight and it was fabulous…. yet, so simple! We loved it!
From one TJ lover to another, I added the TJ sun dried tomatoes and drizzled the TJ Balsamic Glaze on the plates and it added a little Trader Joe love!
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Becki!! I’m so glad you loved this recipe! It’s definitely one of my fall favs! I LOVE your idea about the sun dried tomatoes and balsamic glaze…I’m DEFINITELY going to give that a try!