Ground Beef & Apple Filled Acorn Squash Halves

Great Fall comfort food. The prep time is so long mainly because I have included the baking of the squash while you are preparing the other ingredients. The cooking time is the final baking time. Enjoy!

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2  medium acorn squash
• 1  lb lean ground beef
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2  cups apples, pared and chopped
• 1⁄4 cup raisins
•  salt
• 4  tablespoons brown sugar, packed
• 2  tablespoons margarine or 2  tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
2. Cut each of the squash in half and remove the seeds and fibers.
3. Place the squash, cut sides down, in an ungreased baking pan.
4. Then add water to the depth of 1/4-inch and bake, uncovered, until the squash is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.
5. While the squash is baking, cook and stir the meat in a large skillet until it is brown.
6. Drain off the excess fat.
7. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the 1 1/2 ts of salt as well as the cinnamon, the coarsely chopped tart apples and the raisins.
8. When the squash is cooked, turn them so that the cut side is up and remove them to a platter.
9. Drain off any remaining liquid in the pan and dry.
10. Scoop out the pulp from the acorn squash, making a shell that is 1/4-inch thick all the way around.
11. Season the shells with salt to taste.
12. Mash the pulp and mix in the meat mixture.
13. Return to the shells, piling them full and sprinkle with 1 tb of brown sugar on each.
14. Drizzle with the melted butter.
15. Bake uncovered until the apple is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.
16. Serve hot.
17. NOTE: You can substitute a combination of 1/2 lb lean ground beef and 1/2 lb of bulk pork sausage for the 1 lb of lean ground beef.