Overflowing with Chili Acorn Squash

 
I could LIVE on this dish. It’s that good! Acorn squash is seriously underrated …

¼th of recipe (1 stuffed squash half): 199 calories, 2g total fat (1g sat fat), 327mg sodium, 42g carbs, 8.5g fiber, 6g sugars, 8g protein

You’ll Need: baking sheet, nonstick spray, medium pot

Prep: 15 minutes • Cook: 30 minutes

Two 20-ounce acorn squash, halved, seeds removed

½ cup chopped portabella mushrooms

⅓ cup chopped onion

⅓ cup chopped bell pepper

2 tablespoons seeded and chopped jalapeño pepper

¾ cup seeded and chopped tomato

1½ cups canned crushed tomatoes

½ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

1½ teaspoons chopped garlic

1½ teaspoons chili powder

¾ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

2. Place squash halves on the baking sheet, cut sides down. Bake until soft, 25 to 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, make the chili. Bring a medium pot sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño pepper. Cook and stir until partially softened, about 3 minutes.

4. Add chopped tomato to the pot. Cook and stir until mostly softened, about 2 minutes.

5. Add all remaining ingredients except cheese to the pot. Cook and stir until hot and well mixed, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

6. Flip squash halves. Fill with chili, and sprinkle with cheese.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Chew on This …

Chili: beans or no beans? That very question is rumored to have caused a heated debate, resulting in the first-ever chili cook-off known as the Great Chili Confrontation. Oddly, a judge claimed he was poisoned and no winner was named.