Today Show: Gail Simmons
From Food & Wine to Top Chef, Gail Simmons knows her way around the kitchen, and she was a perfect guest to have on hand for the Christmas morning edition of Today Show. She prepared a Baked Acorn Squash recipe that makes a perfect winter side dish, and she paired it with a Pancetta-Wrapped Beef Tenderloin. Mmm!
Today Show: Gail Simmons Baked Acorn Squash Recipe Ingredients
Gail Simmons stuffed Acorn Squash with chestnuts, apples, and leeks on Today Show. (Charles Brutlag / Shutterstock.com)
This side dish of stuffed Acorn Squash is “great all winter long, because it’s all those delicious seasonal flavors,” Simmons said. Her preparation used chestnuts, apples, and leeks, but you could probably experiment with some other favorites, depending on what is in season, when it is time to stuff this squash.
- 4 halved, seeded Acorn Squash
- 1 1/2 cups diced Celery
- 2 peeled, diced Granny Smith Apples
- 10 oz diced day-old Bread (crusts removed)
- 1/2 cup chopped Parsley
- 1/3 cup Vegetable Stock
- 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 2 halved, sliced Leeks
- 2 tsp fine chopped Thyme
- 7 oz vacuum-sealed cooked Chestnuts
- 1/3 cup Heavy Cream
- 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
Gail Simmons: Today Show Baked Acorn Squash Recipe Directions
- Preheat the oven at 350 F and brush the cut sides of each squash using olive oil; salt and pepper.
- Place cut sides of squash down on two baking sheets. Roast 25 minutes or until tender.
- Melt butter in olive oil in a skillet. Add celery with leeks, salt and pepper, cooking on medium heat for about eight minutes, stirring now and then.
- Add apples and thyme, cooking on medium high about five minutes, or until until the apples begin to soften.
- Scrape the mixture into a bowl. Work in bread, parsley, stock, chestnuts, and cream, tossing to mix well; salt and pepper.
- Turn the squash so cut sides face up. Fill the cavities with stuffing and bake 20 minutes, or until tender and golden brown.
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