Beef and Black Bean Stuffed Butternut Squash
- Savory
- Oven
Roasted butternut halves filled with smoky paprika beef, black beans and onion, topped with melted cheddar. A hearty, high-protein centrepiece for a Halloween table.
- Total
- 80 min
- Prep 20 · Cook 55 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Roasting · Seasoning in layers
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 200°C. Halve the butternut squash lengthways and scoop out the seeds with a spoon, leaving a hollow about 2 cm deep.
~10 min
-
Rub the cut faces of the butternut squash with 1 tbsp olive oil and 0.5 tsp salt. Set the halves cut side up on a baking tray and roast for 25 minutes, until the flesh gives when pressed with a spoon.
~25 min
Roasting cut side up drives off surface moisture and concentrates the flesh's sugars, so the squash caramelises and turns tender without steaming.
Choose a squash that fits your tray with a little space around each half; if it is very large, roast it 10 minutes longer before filling so the flesh is tender all the way through.
Roasting Roast cut side up on a hot tray so the surface dries and browns; press with a spoon to test tenderness rather than piercing repeatedly.
Seasoning in layers Salt the squash before roasting and season the filling separately, so each component is seasoned through rather than only on the surface.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the squash roasts, finely chop the onion. Drain the black beans thoroughly. Mix the minced beef with the chopped onion, drained black beans, paprika, remaining 0.5 tsp salt and black pepper in a large bowl.
~8 min
Draining the beans well stops their liquid diluting the beef and turning the filling watery as it bakes.
Sprinkle the paprika over the beef just before mixing rather than at the start, so its colour and aroma stay bright through the bake.
Seasoning in layers Salt the squash before roasting and season the filling separately, so each component is seasoned through rather than only on the surface.
-
Spoon the beef and bean mixture into the hollows, packing it lightly and mounding it above the rim. Cover the tray loosely with foil and bake for 20 minutes, until the beef is no longer pink and reaches 71°C/160°F.
~20 min
The foil traps steam so the beef cooks through evenly without the exposed top drying out before the centre is safe.
Roasting Roast cut side up on a hot tray so the surface dries and browns; press with a spoon to test tenderness rather than piercing repeatedly.
-
Remove the foil, scatter the grated cheddar over the filling and bake uncovered for 10 minutes, until the cheese bubbles and turns golden at the edges.
~10 min
Uncovering lets moisture escape so the cheese can brown and crisp rather than stay pale and wet.
Roasting Roast cut side up on a hot tray so the surface dries and browns; press with a spoon to test tenderness rather than piercing repeatedly.
-
Rest the stuffed squash for 5 minutes before cutting each half in two, so the filling settles and the halves hold their shape.
~5 min
Resting lets the juices redistribute and the filling firm up, so it doesn't spill out when you cut.
