Whole Roasted Butternut Squash With Christmas Stuffing Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat and place a rack on top.
• Halve the butternut squash lengthwise. Remove the seeds and discard. Using a melon baller, cut a channel into the neck of the squash, leaving a 3/4-inch border of flesh on the sides and bottom. Save the removed squash for another use or discard. Season the flesh with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a small skillet. Add the celery and onions and cook just until softened, about 3 minutes. Combine the celery and onions, cornbread, rosemary, thyme, sage, cranberries and pecans in a bowl and toss to combine well. Add the vegetable stock and mix just until moistened and combined. Season with salt and pepper.
• Line the bottom of each butternut squash half with a layer of green beans. Top with the cornbread filling. Lay the carrot down the middle of 1 of the squash halves. Spread about 1 teaspoon of the butter over the carrot (enough to generously coat) and dot the cornbread mixture evenly with the remaining butter. Sprinkle the carrot with the brown sugar. Slide the squash pieces next to each other and carefully close the butternut squash and lay on one side. Tie in the middle and at each end with butcher's twine.
• Crumple a piece of aluminum foil into a 24-inch-long "snake". Curl this around and place on the prepared rack. Nestle the squash inside it so the squash sits flat on the rack and doesn't roll.
• Drizzle the whole squash with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast until a knife easily slides through all of the layers, 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let it sit for 10 minutes. Slice crosswise and serve.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cut the squash in half through the middle lengthways and scoop out the seeds using a spoon (don't discard them). Drizzle the squash halves with 1 tbsp oil and rub this in all over. Season and transfer to a baking tray, cut-side up. Roast for 50 mins-1 hr until tender through to the middle when pierced with a fork and lightly caramelised.
• Meanwhile, wash the reserved squash seeds in a sieve, removing any stringy pieces of flesh, then pat dry with a tea towel. Tip the seeds into a bowl, drizzle over 2 tsp oil and toss with pinch of each of the spices and a pinch of salt until coated. Transfer to a baking-parchment-lined baking tray and roast on the shelf below the squash for 10-15 mins until golden and crunchy, stirring halfway through to ensure they roast evenly. Leave to cool on the tray.
• Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a wide pan over a medium heat and fry the onion for 10 mins until soft. Add the mushrooms and garlic, and cook for another 10 mins until the mushrooms are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the walnuts, remaining mace and mixed spice, the cranberries, maple syrup, sage and kale. Cook for a few minutes more until the kale has started to wilt, then stir in the wine or stock along with some seasoning. Continue to cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated. Remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs until combined (add a splash more wine or stock if you need to soften the bread). The mixture shouldn't be dry and crumbly, and should hold together when pressed. Season well.
• When the squash is tender, scoop out a hollow channel in the neck of the squash to make a gap for the filling. (You can keep the scooped-out flesh for soups or purées.) Spoon in the filling, packing it into the squash and piling up slightly. Drizzle over a little oil and roast for 20-30 mins until lightly crisp on top. Scatter with the squash seeds and slice to serve.