Hello, Seafoodies!
Don’t think we’ve gone over-gourd, but you must try our recipe for acorn squash stuffed with crab, cheese and panko breadcrumbs. It’s a gluten-free meal-in-one (or hearty side dish) that is one of our favorite autumn dishes!
We loooove acorn squash with seafood! Its natural sweetness pairs smoothly with delicately-flavored crab, and its hollow shape makes it the perfect edible bowl to hold a flavorful stuffing. In this recipe, our dynamic crab-squash duo gets a complex flavor-texture boost from Old Bay, aromatics, two cheeses and a pleasing panko crunch.
Oh, and did we mention it’s good for you, too? In addition to being a healthful choice for anyone following a gluten-free diet, this dish offers plenty of lean protein, vitamin B-12 and other important nutrients courtesy of the crab. Combined with the dietary fiber, potassium and beta carotene from the squash, you get a boatload of nutrition in a holiday-ready package!
Plus, this dish is a double myth-buster, debunking the falsehoods that: (1) Cravable dishes can’t be good for you and (2) you can’t serve seafood with cheese. Wrong, and wrong! (These are two “rules” that any self-respecting Seafoodie should abolish from the kitchen, if you haven’t already!) And since it’s so easy to prepare, you could be enjoying this festive fall meal tonight! After some minimal prep, all that’s left to do is savor the aroma while it roasts in the oven and you sip a glass of wine. What a delicious way to get more seafood into your week!
Print
Gluten-Free Crab-Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 acorn squash, halved lengthwise and seeds scooped out (leaving a “bowl” in acorn squash)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 1 pound lump crabmeat, drained
- ¼ cup cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup gluten-free panko crumbs or crushed gluten-free rice cereal (such as Rice Chex)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Place acorn squash halves cut side in a glass baking dish; set aside.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat; sauté garlic and celery until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add parsley and Old Bay seasoning. Remove from heat.
- In a medium bowl, combine crabmeat, cream cheese and cooked vegetables. Mix to combine all ingredients; add salt and pepper to taste.
- Using a spoon, scoop mixture into squash halves. (It’s okay to overstuff them.) Top with Parmesan cheese and panko or cereal. Cover with foil; cook for 45 minutes.
- Remove foil and cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until stuffing is browned and squash is tender.
Notes
Recommended utensils; Glass baking dish, sauté pan.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 60
- Category: Crab
- Diet: Gluten Free
No Comments