I’ve always tried to be aware of what I put into my body…. you know, minimizing processed foods and sugars (although, I do have quite a sweet tooth), heavy on the fruits + vegetables, with whole grains and lean meats tossed in the mix…. Yet, when I became pregnant with Harper, I became increasingly aware of where my food was coming from, and how my food was grown and raised. I felt that I was being entrusted with the responsibility to carry our growing baby, and I wanted to ensure that what I put into my body was good for her as well… That meant I became pretty strict…. especially with the meats I was consuming. They needed to be organic and raised on organic land…. no antibiotics, hormones, or steroids (since that’s the crap that gets stored in the animal’s fat + flesh…. and are then passed onto me… from what I have read in my research.).

Annnnd, now that little miss is eating all the foods that we do, it’s something that continues to be of importance to me in food preparation and grocery shopping. So, when I was introduced to Foster Farms Organic Ground Turkey, I was eager to try it out… it met all of the above criteria, and was at an excellent price point (because, let’s be honest, organic isn’t cheap….). I loved it so much that I’ve teamed up with them to bring you a Turkey Tuesday dish that has become a regular staple in our household…. stuffed acorn squash. It’s hearty, nutritious, and little miss + hubby approved (oh, and my sister tested it out too and gave it two thumbs up….). If you’re short on time during the week, you can always prepare the turkey  and acorn squash ahead, and simply reheat them when it’s time for dinner…..

Ingredients

1 Package Foster Farms Organic Ground Turkey (I found mine at Costco, in a two pack, for a little over $15!)
1 package of riced cauliflower (found at Trader Joe’s… or you can rice it on your own….)
Spinach
Green Onions
Avocado
1 Medium to Large Acorn Squash
1 Cup Diced Onions
1 Jar Of Salsa Verde (my favorite is from Trader Joe’s)
2 tsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Olive Oil

Directions For Acorn Squash
Pre-heat the oven to 450° (if your oven has a convection setting, I recommend using it as it will bake faster.). With a sharp knife (trust me, you want it to be sharp…) cut the squash in half length wise. Line a baking sheet with tin foil, place the acorn squash halves on the sheet, place 1 tsp of ghee in each acorn squash, then sprinkle with salt + pepper. Place in the oven for 45 minutes- 1 hour (30-45 minutes with convection). You’ll know the squash is cooked when you can easily pierce it with a fork.

Directions For The Ground Turkey (cook while acorn squash is roasting)
I found the ground turkey to be incredibly flavorful, so I was happy that I didn’t use too many seasonings. I sprayed a frying pan with non-stick oil and tossed in the ground turkey. I sprinkled the turkey with some salt + pepper, and cooked it until it was done. About 15 minutes.

Directions For Cauliflower Rice (prepare while turkey is cooking)
Place some olive oil in a sauté pan, along with some garlic + diced onion (amount is up to you). After about 3 minutes, toss in the cauliflower rice and sauté. After about 5-7 minutes, pour in about 3/4 of the salsa verde (or all of it if you like, you just don’t want to have too much liquid) and mix it all together. After about 5 minutes, take 2-3 handfuls of spinach and place in the pan with the cauliflower rice. Mix together. Continue to cook the cauliflower until it is tender. This can take about 20-25 minutes. Once the rice is done, combine it with the cooked ground turkey and mix together.

Assembly
Once the acorn squash is tender, remove it from the oven. Place it on a plate. Scoop in the desired amount of the turkey mixture into the acorn squash. Top with mashed avocado, diced green onions, and additional salsa to taste… and, a few chips adds a nice little crunch….

That’s it! The whole process sounds labor intensive, but all in is a pretty simple dish to make… not much chopping, just a lot of tossing into a pan. I’ve always felt that delicious + nutritious meals should be easy and simple… that way they can become a seamless part of my lifestyle. This one makes the cut. Hope you enjoy it as much as our family does!

*Thank you to Foster Farms for sponsoring this post and allowing itsy bitsy indulgences to content create. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.