Recipes and Cooking Gluten-Free Wild Rice-Stuffed Acorn Squash with Cranberries and Pancetta 4.9 (11) 2 Reviews Roasted squash is delicious. But you know what's even better? Roasted squash stuffed with a hearty blend of rice, pancetta, dried cranberries, and herbs. Try this as an entree on its own or as a side dish at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on September 18, 2014 Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email Prep Time: 30 mins Bake Time: 70 mins Total Time: 100 mins Servings: 6 Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 3 1.5 pound acorn squash, halved lengthwise and seeds removed ¼ cup butter, melted ¼ cup packed brown sugar ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 ounce pancetta, chopped ½ cup chopped onion (1 medium) 2 cup lightly packed baby spinach 1 tablespoon snipped fresh sage 2 cup cooked brown and/or wild rice ⅔ cup pecans, toasted and chopped ½ cup dried cranberries Directions Preheat oven to 400°F. Add 1/2-inch water to the bottom of a large roasting pan. Arrange the squash halves, cut sides down, in the roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Turn squash halves cut sides up. Brush cut sides of squash with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes more or just until tender. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook and stir pancetta over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes or until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove pancetta from skillet. Drain on paper towels. Add onion to drippings in skillet; cook and stir for 4 to 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add spinach, sage, and the crisped pancetta. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in the cooked rice, pecans, and cranberries. Mix well. Divide rice mixture among squash halves, filling each cavity with about 2/3 cup rice mixture. Drizzle with remaining melted butter. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes more or until heated through. Tips Stick to plain, cooked brown rice or wild rice for this recipe. Packaged mixes are more likely to contain gluten. Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 462 Calories 23g Fat 63g Carbs 9g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 6 Calories 462 % Daily Value * Total Fat 23g 29% Saturated Fat 8g 40% Cholesterol 27mg 9% Sodium 391mg 17% Total Carbohydrate 63g 23% Total Sugars 17g Protein 9g Vitamin C 28.3mg 142% Calcium 131.3mg 10% Iron 3.1mg 17% Potassium 1018mg 22% Folate, total 64.5mcg Vitamin B-6 0.5mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.