I wanted to come up with a delicious and DIFFERENT way to serve Acorn Squash. I happened to have a bunch of crazy hot jalapeño peppers in the house that I cooked with sugar, carrot, apples and some seasonings. I discovered that I made the painfully hot jalapeño peppers edible but sweet and I thought they’d be delicious with the squash and they are! I do note that acorn squash are very hard and might be too difficult or dangerous to cut for some people. The Acorn Squash and the Jalapeño Peppers can both cause injury. You need a decent sharp knife and some strength to cut Acorn Squash. I do find that the acorn squash that turn slightly orange are slightly softer. You should wear gloves and maybe eye googles to protect your hands and eyes when you work with a large amount of Jalapeño Peppers. The heat from the peppers can actually burn your hands and be painful.

Ingredients for 6 generous servings or 12 small servings depending on the sizes of your squash.

3 acorn squash – washed well, cut in quarters with seeds and membranes removed

12 oz. jalapeños – washed well, stems and seeds removed, chopped

1/2 sweet onion – chopped

1 carrot – peeled and shredded

1 apple – peeled, cored, chopped

1 garlic clove – ground to paste

1 1/2 cups water

1 Tablespoon lime juice

1 1/2 cup sugar

pinch sea salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

non stick spray

4 oz. stick unsalted butter

Directions

Turn oven on to 350 degrees F

Set Squash and baking sheet(s) and set to the side.

To a sauce pot on medium high heat add a little non stick spray and add the jalapeños and onion and cook till the onion is transparent.

Then add the rest of the ingredients except for the butter.

Bring to boil and then reduce to a medium heat. Stir occasionally and you need to keep your eye on the pot to prevent boiling over or burning and let it go about an hour.

Take the stick of butter and cut in half and then cut each half in thirds and cut each third in half like this.

Put a pat of butter into each squash.

Stuff the squash with the sweet jalapeños.

Bake 35 – 45 minutes till baked, caramelized and slightly browned.

You will be left some some delicious sauce at the bottom of the pan that you should serve over the squash.

This is a unique but delicious way to serve Acorn Squash!