Inside Scoop: This Chili Cheese Oven Roasted Acorn Squash Recipe is perfect for using up that abundance of squash.

Fall is squash season. They come in a variety of sizes, big, small, and they also come in a variety of varieties. I’m not even going to lie to you, this picture isn’t an acorn squash. I purchased a SWEET POTATO SQUASH and my local farmers market because I wanted to experiment.

It tastes just like acorn squash…

Which is okay, squash is pretty amazing, and experimenting with the varieties, sizes, dishes, is a great way to buy locally, seasonally sourced goods, and have fun with what you’re cooking.

I personally like the smaller squash varieties, just because they are easier to cut. I like to roast them in chunks, or, if you get something like an acorn squash, you can roast it into rounds, which makes for a nice salad topper, or even just a nice side dish. And this Roasted Acorn Squash recipe is the perfect simple addition to any holiday dinner party, evening salad, meal prep day, or just an off the whim recipe that you really want to test out.

CHILI CHEESE OVEN ROASTED ACORN SQUASH RECIPE WITH ALL THE FIXINGS

The thing I love about this oven roasted acorn squash recipe is that it contains minimal ingredients, and is so simple to make. You can roast the acorn squash with parmesan cheese, if you have no dairy intolerance, or if you are vegan, trying to reduce your dairy intake, or just don’t like cheese, we love roasting this acorn squash with nutritional yeast. You wouldn’t even know that it’s dairy-free, it still has a cheesy, deep flavour that really stands out.

SLOW YOUR BLOOD SUGARS WITH ACORN SQUASH

Since I have been dabbling in the grain-free lifestyle due to digestive issues, it’s vital for me to get my carbohydrates in other food form, and all in all I know my body thrives on carbs that come from starchy vegetables.

Don’t be fooled by acorn squash high carbohydrate content, acorn squash contains something called slow release carbohydrates, which are notorious for controlling your blood sugar levels, as opposed to spiking them. Consuming a diet rich in complex carb and fiber can actually help control the hunger mechanisms by keeping you feeling fuller, for longer.

Not only is this complex carb great at slowing blood sugar release, but it contains a wide variety of carotenoids, like beta-carotene and alpha-carotene.

HOW TO DRESS YOUR OVEN ROASTED ACORN SQUASH

You’ll find that with this oven roasted acorn squash recipe we decided to bake them with a deep chili and cheese flavour, and using these rounds as a side dish (especially during Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner parties) is a real crowd pleaser.

You can also do as I did here and create a salad dish as a main or an appetizer. I find that lightly tossing greens in some of this Dairy-free Pesto Sauce with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and topped with some roasted acorn squash rounds, pumpkin seeds, goat cheese (or cashew cheese for dairy-free version), cranberries, or pomegranate seeds is really quite a delicious dish.

So, serve as a plain side, or make this oven acorn squash recipe into a side dish, either way you will be pleasantly surprised just how simple and delicious this recipe turns out.

What is your favourite squash variety? Drop a comment below and let us know how you like to cook it!

And, if you’re looking for other amazing simple recipe ideas, make sure you grab a copy of our mini 5 Ingredient Cookbook! Complete with 12 free recipes from our signature diet plan (the N5Diet) that are created with only 5 ingredients. Designed to show you just how easy healthy eating can be.

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