Beef and Barley Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients

Quantities are for 4 servings.

Ingredient amounts are scaled. Amounts written inside the instructions are for 4 servings, so scale those to match.

Cooking for 6 or more? You may need to split this between two pans or pots (or cook in batches) so it cooks evenly and browns instead of steaming.

• 1 1/2 lb Ground beef (85% lean)
• 2 each Acorn squash (about 1 1/2 lb each)
• 1 cup Pearl barley
• 8 oz Cremini mushrooms
• 1 each Yellow onion, diced
• 2 each Carrots, diced
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• 1/2 cup Fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 tsp Dried thyme
• 2 1/4 tsp Salt
• 3/4 tsp Black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Set each squash on a cutting board and cut it in half from stem to tip with a large, sharp knife, pressing down carefully (if it is hard to cut, microwave the whole squash for 2 minutes first). Scoop out the seeds and stringy bits with a spoon. Brush the cut sides with 1 tablespoon of the oil and sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper.
2. Place the squash halves cut side down on the baking sheet and roast 25 minutes. Turn them cut side up and roast 15-20 minutes more, until the edges are browned and a knife slides easily into the flesh.
3. While the squash roasts, rinse the barley and put it in a medium saucepan with 3 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes, until tender. Drain off any extra water and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, onion, and diced carrots and cook 8-10 minutes, breaking up the beef, until no pink remains and it reaches 160°F. Carefully spoon off any extra fat into a heatproof container to cool and throw away (never pour it down the drain). Wash your hands after handling the raw beef.
5. Chop the mushrooms small and add them to the skillet. Cook 5 minutes, until they release their moisture and it cooks off. Mince the garlic and stir it in with the tomato paste, thyme, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cook 1 minute.
6. Stir the cooked barley and 1/2 cup of water into the skillet and simmer 2 minutes, until the filling is moist but not soupy. Chop the parsley and stir in half of it.
7. Spoon the filling into the squash halves, mounding it generously. Bake 10 minutes, until hot all the way through. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve one stuffed half per person, plus extra filling from the skillet.