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Putting together a holiday menu can be fun—but also stressful. There are lots of diet restrictions to consider and lots of prep work awaiting. Planning can be especially difficult when searching for a healthy addition to the holiday spread. Despite being chock-full of fats and calories, forgoing the beloved green bean casserole may be considered. Would it honestly be worth it to make yet another dish just to be a bit more health conscious?

Thanks to the clever stuffed squash recipe, the answer is easy: YES! Not only can you prepare this dish up to three days ahead of time, but it is a beautiful addition to the table, looking like a centerpiece itself. Perhaps best, the stuffed butternut squash is full of vitamins and suitable for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free diets.

Ingredients:

• 1 Butternut Squash
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Carrots, sliced and diced
• 2 stalks Celery, chopped
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of Garlic, minced
• ½ cups Wild Rice
• 2 cups Vegetable Broth
• ½ cup of White Rice
• ½ cup Walnuts (optional/allergy risk)
• ½ cup dried Cranberries
• 1 teaspoon fresh Sage, chopped
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried Thyme
• Twine

Method:

Up to three days before serving:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut the butternut squash lengthwise and discard the seeds. Place the halves side by side on a baking sheet with the inside of the squash facing upwards.
3. Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil on the squash and spread well.
4. Bake for 60-70 minutes—the squash should be tender but not well done. If using a particularly large squash or small squash, the timing may vary.
5. Once tender, remove the squash from the oven and allow it to cool.
6. Scoop the cooked squash out of the shell leaving a one-inch border. The border will help the squash keep its shape when served. Set aside the scooped-out squash flesh and chop it up.
7. While the squash is baking, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
8. Once the oil is hot, sauté the carrots, celery, onion and garlic until tender.
9. Add the wild rice and vegetable broth to the pan and stir briefly. Cover the pan and allow to simmer for ten minutes.
10. Add the white rice to the pan and keep covered. The rice will cook and absorb the broth in approximately ten minutes. The time will vary depending on the rice, so be sure to keep an eye on the pan until the rice has fully absorbed the broth.
11. Once the rice is cooked, add the thyme, sage, cranberries, walnuts and seasoning. Once step #6 is completed, add the scooped-out squash flesh to the pan and stir to combine.
12. Use the stuffing in the pan to fill both halves of the squash. Fill them both as full as possible but expect some leftover.
13. Use the twine to secure the two halves together, as if fitting the squash back together in its original form.
14. Allow the squash to cool, wrap in foil and store in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Day of serving:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly brush the shell of the squash with olive oil.
3. Bake for 20-30 minutes until heated all the way through.
4. Once heated, season the squash with additional salt, pepper, sage and/or thyme.
5. Slice and serve—gravy optional!