Classic dish gets new look served up in acorn squash

Recently I asked my mom about a recipe she’d made with kabocha, and she said, “It’s like meatloaf in a pumpkin.”

When I seemed confused, she asked me whether I’d ever made meatloaf.

As a matter of fact, I hadn’t. And I wasn’t sure I’d ever had it in her kitchen either.

Then, the other night, my friend was discussing his recent dinner: meatloaf. I asked him to explain what it was.

“What? You’ve never had meatloaf?” he asked.

I’ve asked this question before, and a few folks have shared what they put in their meatloaf. It sounds like the recipe is as variable as a meatball recipe, and I imagined it must be similar to one.

On TV meatloaf is portrayed as a cafeteria food, tasteless and dry. But if this many people’s mothers are making meatloaf, I figured it must be possible to make a good one.

I think most people have recipes they feel their mom cooks better than anyone else. I do, too, but I also don’t think I would limit her list to a few favorites. I have plenty of meals I consider childhood comfort food, but almost every time I have a visit with my mom, it seems like she’s cooking something new. I don’t ask her to make any of my favorite dishes, because I plan on being a taste tester for her latest experiments.

So when she made me this meatloaf in a squash, it was funny to think she made an American classic that wasn’t part of a recipe card file she’d been carrying around for 30 years.

And you know what? I loved it. So this is meatloaf, I thought. Why do people make fun of it?

Maybe they just don’t have my mom’s secret recipe.

Mom’s Meatloaf in Acorn Squash

» 3 slices bacon, chopped
» 1/2 onion, finely minced
» 2 cloves of garlic, minced
» 1/2 pound ground beef
» 1 egg
» 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
» 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese powder
» 2 tablespoons ketchup
» 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
» 1/8 teaspoon pepper
» Pinch nutmeg
» 1 acorn squash
» 2 tablespoons olive oil
» 1 tablespoon flour, for dusting

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In pan over medium, saute bacon, then remove and set aside. In the bacon grease, saute onion and garlic until golden and soft.

In medium bowl, mix bacon and onion mixture with ground beef, egg, cheeses, ketchup, salt, pepper and nutmeg. To check mixture for seasoning, cook a tablespoon of the meat and adjust seasoning to taste.

Microwave whole squash 2 minutes on high. Cut off top cap of squash and scrape out seeds. Cut small slice off bottom to ensure squash stands upright. With knife, cut into flesh inside squash but do not pierce skin. Brush outside and inside with olive oil and dust inside with flour.

Stuff squash with meat, then place cap on top. Bake 45 minutes and then remove cap and bake another 10 minutes.

To serve, while still hot, cut squash into slices like an orange. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt to taste): 500 calories, 36 g fat, 14 g saturated fat, 130 mg cholesterol, 1,000 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 28 g protein

Mariko Jackson blogs about family and food at thelittlefoodie.com.