What an amazing and simple recipe this is. Butternut squash stuffed with Grass-fed ground beef, bacon and onions. Then to “top” it off, caramelized onions in balsamic vinegar and it is heavenly. Hope you enjoy as much as we did since we ate the whole squash with everything else. So let’s see, that means the Civilized Caveman Team ingested 4 pounds of squash, 2 pounds of beef, and lots of onions. Yep seems perfectly normal to us, and plus who cares? It tasted GOOD and we ate it.
Bacon Beef Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash cut in half
- 1 pound ground beef
- 6 slices of bacon
- 3 small onions sliced 1 reserved
- 1 stalk celery diced
- salt
- pepper
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon add more for taste if wanted
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit
- Cut squash in half and scrape out the seeds
- Place face down in a pyrex dish with 1/2 inch of hot water and cook for 30 minutes
- While its in the oven, cook the bacon in a pan until crispy, set aside and leave the bacon fat in the pan
- Add 2 of the sliced onions and celery to the pan and then add the beef
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and your cinnamon
- Continue stirring until the beef is finished, remove from heat and place in a bowl
- Remove the squash from the oven, when you can handle it scrape out some of the guts, leaving ~1/4 inch of squash, add squash to bowl with meat
- Crumble your bacon and add that to the bowl as well
- Mix well and then stuff your squashes with the beef mixture and place back in the 350 degree oven for 20 minutes
- While your squash are baking, add your reserved onion to your sauté pan and cook them over low heat with your balsamic to caramelize them
- Remove squash from oven, top with caramelized onions and Enjoy
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Oh my. I made this for my family tonight and it was a huge hit!. It was begging for some chopped apple and I happened to have one on the verge of landing in the compost heap, so I added that to mix. Gave it just a little bit of sweetness and worked so well with the cinnamon. This is definitely on our “make again” list. Thank you!!
Love this! I mixed venison and ground beef. I also added mushroom. It is delicious! Thank you for posting this!
This was a great use of squash for a main dish. Used summer squash instead, turned out great if a bit less sweet/savory.
Glad you enjoyed it :)
Made this tonight, it was so good. Loved the balsamic onions. Didnt have celery so added mushrooms. Not a big fan of cinnamon so used garlic and oregano. Thanks for the recipe
Great way to make it your own! Glad you enjoyed it!
Could this be made in a slow cooker?
Yes it could be
I tried this delicious recipe and was heavenly. Next time I will use a teaspoon of cinnamon instead of a tablespoon since my family thought it was overpowering and top it with baked onions instead of caramelized for a crunchy texture since the bacon lost its in the mixture. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Happy fall.
Awesome feedback, thank you and glad everyone enjoyed :)
Made this tonight for my two cavemen. I have a feeling they never tried a butter squash… It just doesn’t look like a manly veg.
I also made it with turkey (+2tbsp of steak sauce)… Not than man-ly like.
The verdict: they love it! Ate it all up and wanted more. This dish is fantastic! Thank you George!
Ah you are so welcome.
I personally do not like balsamic vinegar, so I caramelized all the onions in the bacon fat and Liquid (hickory) smoke before adding the beef. Then when making the boats, wrapped them in foil an put them on the grill for the last 20-30 minutes. It was a hit! Thank you for coming up with a very good recipe, and for humbly receiving our tweeks in these posts.
Oh that sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing your tip
30 minutes and 20 minutes was not enough to fully soften the butter nut. I’d go at least 45 on the first round and 30 on the second next time. I’d also go with more bacon next time.
Thanks for the tips
I totally agree. I doubled the time for the first roast and still the squash was hard. Next time I will use foil to keep the heat in.
This wasn’t terrible but I have to be honest, I was not a big fan. The cinnamon really threw me off. I’m not a picky eater and if you like trying different things then give this one a shot. I didn’t care for the flavor so I ended up adding garlic powder.
Thanks for the feedback :)
I didnt realize how much i was suffering by not eating this last night and packing it up for lunch for the week. This is close to evil.
George-thinking of trying this tonight with the large yellow summer squash that’s taking over the garden! Do you think this recipe would work with this type of squash? What are your suggestions? Love your books and recipes! Have been paleo for about 7 months now and you have been an inspiration! Thank you!
Made this last night and I was so excited to have it again today as leftovers! I added some extra spices because it’s fun to :)
Than
I love this recipe as leftovers too Mary :)
I made this recipe tonight and it was amazing! We just switched over to paleo in my household and this is definitely the best meal I have made so far! My fiance inhaled it. I will be sure to try some of your other recipes!
Hahaha glad to hear!! Enjoy :)
Amazing recipe! Always a hit with whoever is lucky enough to get it.
Try swapping the carmelised onions for fresh cilantro and soft goats cheese. Or do both!
Keep up the great work!
-Ryan
I will try and do that sometime soon! Thank you for the suggestions!
great recipe! i ended up having to bake the squash 50-60 minutes and had to caramelize the onions over medium heat but this recipe is awesome! my non-paleo husband fell in love. and so many leftovers! will make again and again!
I’m so glad you were able to convince your non-paleo husband to climb aboard. Maybe he will be paleo soon?!
Made this last night and not sure what went wrong. I poured out more than half of the bacon fat b/c there was just SO much, then threw in the onions, etc. After all was said and done, the entire dish was still way too oily. I might throw the leftovers in a pan and try to fry off some more and/or make everything really crispy. It had nice flavor though!
I’m sorry to hear that!! Glad you were able to make everything work.
That is the first I have heard of this, I am sorry to hear
Is it necessary to add the water to the pyrex dish when you cook the squash? Of can you just roast it like we do Spaghetti squash?
I like to add water to keep it from burning on the bottom.
I just made this tonight but omitted the cinnamon (hubby not a fan) but it turned out perfect….super delicious, a great cold weather treat. Another good thing is I was able to use part of the ingredients before spices to make a healthy treat for our dog, and she loved it too!
So glad to hear :)
This was fabulous! Thanks :). Definitely a new favorite way to use butternut squash
You are welcome :) Glad you enjoyed it!
Delicious!! thank you for the dinner idea… I added some garlic salt (instead of regular), ground cloves and ground coriander but those are just the flavors I thought would go well with the recipe :)
thanks again!
No problem :) glad you put your own spin on it!
Thanks for having at “Pin it” button! I use pinterest for meal planning! :) This looks fantastic!
That sounds delicious
That’s delicious
I just made this but omitted the cinnamon completely and used ground turkey I had on hand- it was delicious! but i just have one question, Three tablespoons of cinnamon? That nearly a quarter cup, is that a typo?
It may be Angie, I will go look at it and see :)
I made this for dinner last night and when I added the cinnamon to the beef mixture the whole pan turned a slimy consistency. Any thoughts on why this might have happened? The only deviation from the recipe was to precook my squash in the slow cooker. The balsamic caramelized onions were amazing.
Cinnamon mixed with water will do that, you can drain off excess moisture before adding it
This was a hit in our house tonight! I had to cook the squash for an hour (didn’t weigh it when I purchased it), but well worth the wait!
Awesome, I am so glad everyone loved it Candace
This was really good. You used combinations of things I don’t think I would ever think to put together, thanks for expanding our culinary ideas! The whole family liked (hubby, 2 teenagers & toddler). We did agree that for our personal tastes I will use less cinnamon next time, and there will be a next time!
I am glad you all loved it and that you will have it again :)
Just bookmarked this website and will be definitely be trying this and several other recipes! Can’t wait!
Awesome Carolyn, welcome
I pay for managed hosting in Canada, they do everything for me
This was AMAZING and so simple to prepare. We used two kabocha squash instead of butternut, and subbed the cinnamon out for a little garlic pepper. SCRUMPTIOUS – this will be on regular rotation. thank you!!!
Oh please share, I want to eat it now lol
This recipe is something amazing! Instead of ground beef, I used a sirloin roast that I cooked in the crockpot all day. So, so good.
That sounds awesome Meg, so glad you enjoyed
Made this last week…it was great, but even better the next day!
Oh yes once all the flavors have melded together longer it’s amazing
Made this last night & we all loved it! Actually, every recipe I’ve made so far has been a hit. When my 7 year old (who is a VERY picky eater) loves it…nothing makes me happier! Thanks for sharing so many amazing recipes.
Oh Laura that’s awesome. Thank you for the comment and I hope the young one likes many more
Yum!!
I love this :)
This looks wonderful! Trying to get my husband on the Paleo train (mostly so I don’t feel tempted by the goodies I keep around for him) and I think this recipe will help a ton!
I hope you both love it :)
My 83 y.o. mother enjoyed it so much she wanted it written all out on a recipe card…that says something. :) Btw, I used a 4.5 lb butternut squash from bountifulbaskets.org (all volunteer food co-op) ~ check ’em out! :D
That just made my night, thank you so much for leaving this comment. I would hug your mother
Made this today with spaghetti squash… This 115lb cavegirl devoured the entire squash, and I’d guess .75lbs of ground beef. Not quite as impressive as your feat, but, y’know, I’m working my way there. ;)
Woohoo go girl. I am proud of all 115lbs of you, keep it up and super glad you liked it :)
yum yum !!! I actually have a butternut squash at home and wanted to make new recipe of it !! Thats the perfect one !!! Thanksss
dinner tonight!!!!
This one is yummy
This looks fabulous!
Loved it. I will definitely be making it again.
Heidi
Woohoo
I made this Friday. It was a hit! The only thing i did differently was I used carrots instead of celery because that’s what I had on hand and i sliced up some garlic and sauteed it with the balsamic onions because I simply don’t believe in cooking without garlic :). It was delicious and very filling. I served it with a salad. I will certainly keep this on the list!
So glad you enjoy and I agree on the garlic front, sometimes I forget though ;)
SOOOO good!!! i added green pepper to it and its just amazing!
So glad you enjoyed
OMG, just made this for the first time and it was so AMAZING! I just wish that it wasn’t so expensive to make… by the time you add up the grass fed beef, nitrate free bacon, and the butternut squash, this was a really spendy dish lol I will still make it again sometime in the near future!
Made this for my hubby for Valentine’s Day… was a great hit! Thanks for the recipe :)
You are most welcome, so glad you enjoyed
Looks fantastic. I am going to try it tonight with ground venison. So lean! I’ll let you know how it is :)
Oh please do. I have some In the freezer
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to make it this week!
Just wanted to say that I have made this recipe 4 times now! It is so delicious and I just love knowing how to cook an awesome meal using butternut squash! Those things used to scare me in the grocery store – ‘What do I do with that thing’ is usually what I thought! Not anymore! Thank you for sharing your recipes! They are fantastic! (currently sitting in the kitchen, cooking this recipe again :) )
-Heather H.
Oh thats so awesome Heather, so glad you love it so much
I made this night (minus the cinnamon, plus some garlic) and it was a huge hit! Thank you!
I grew up with my mom making something similar to this. "Meatloaf" baked in squash is what we called it. Never was "a pain" to eat. Simply slice it like meatloaf, The squash should be tender, so it's not a problem. :) I always loved the dish and will have to make this one! Mary.
Oh thats awesome Joseph, I love kabocha squash. Shari that is so great to hear :)
It was amazing. Even my husband that "doesn't like squash" liked it.
made this in a kabocha squash instead of butternut…it was awesome!
Nicole I am so glad you loved it. I didn't know how it tasted the next day because it didn't last haha. Haha awesome go get your workout on and enjoy the food ;)
This was so delicious.. especially the next day! Sounds weird but this finally motivated me get to a CF gym again in my new town since I can't seem to eat enough compared to all these new paleo recipes i want to try! .. gotta start working up an appetite again! haha Thanks for all you do!
Ah Gwen I have never done it with the already peeled and halved, sorry it wasn't a total success but glad you LOVED it ;)
made this last night. I bought the already halved and peeled squash thinking I was one step ahead of the game. I honestly don't think the squash cooked as well in the oven with the skin already removed. I was able to get some squash from it and mix it in with the "filling" but definitely didn't look as good as yours! The inside was DELICIOUS!!!!
Andrea thanks for following it to the T and loving it :)
I made this today…AWESOME!
As I was following the recipe I was a bit leery of 3 Tbsp of cinnamon but it really makes the dish! So warm and comforting in the tummy…
Andrea
You are most welcome Sarah :)
Haha Janel thanks for that comment, you just made my day :)
Gonna try this with some zucchini squash since I am watching my carbs in an effort to break my plateau. Will report back and since you can eat the whole squash I don't think this version will be a pain in the ass to eat, lol. Some people kill me!
George–
Head over to http://www.LifeSilver.com and read the research on their ASAP Solution. Then Google it and find it cheaper. This stuff is AMAZING! Knocks out flu and food poisoning in less than a day!!! (And no…I DON'T work for them! I just HATE the flu!!)
Glad you're better!
George, this was the first recipe I've made by you (I'm new!), and that was delicious! Thank you thank you. :)
Sorry about your difficulties eating it, i will make a note in the post
While the flavor was nice, this was a pain in the ass to eat. I'd recommend peeling and chopping up the butternut squash before baking it, and simply mixing it in with the beef mixture.
You are most welcome Jacey, thanks for coming to tell me :)
Made this tonight! I loved it but I may be biased that I tend to like anything squash. Even my picky boy ate quite a bit and liked it. Thanks for another great recipe! :)
-Jacey
Made this tonight. Added a bit of rosemary as well. The acid from the balsamic is definitely needed to cut the rich and make it pop. Will do more next time! Very tasty and filling.
This is in my oven right now and I am SO EXCITED!
Oh Shari, I can't wait to hear how you like it :)
Can't wait to try this tonight with our CSA butternut squash – it's is in the oven now!
Maryann, you need to leave that comment on the 10,000 fan post. Thank you simplylivinghealthy :)
This looks awesome…putting it on the menu for this week for sure!
Glad you are feeling better!
http://www.nsc24.com is NOT a mlm, look, read, listen and learn lots. known them for years. THANKS FOR THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH RECIPE TOO. Still sorting out Paleo diet and now Primal ( Blueprint & they still don't fully jive together, but this looks soooo yummy. MEOW LOL
Liked CCC, Les creuset, TFLPP, MDA, PMag, tropical traditions, MML, SOPK, CAVEGIRL CAFE on Facebook.
I would use the oils in salad dressings, everyday cooking and marinades and would love to try them in my baking as well. I bet they make fantastic dipping oils too!!
Hope I win the Dutch oven!!
[email protected]
Thanks Brenda, hope you enjoy
Looks awesome. This is one I plan to try soon.
Leetsstreet, make the chicken anyways and have it as lunch the next day ;)
Oh wow! this looks amazing! I'm sorry you had to get sick in order to make this amazing dish. I just took out chicken for tomorrow's dinner but I think I'm going to have to change my mind. So simple yet tasty. Ideal.
My stomach flu went away after I drank lots of bone broth, homemade, lots of water, rest and some probiotics. I had kombucha tea to get some good bacteria in my stomach
This sounds delishish!!!! I have the stomach flu right now:( If you could share some of your tips it would be greatly appreciated. Love your blog. I've been doing paleo since March and it has changed my life.
Awesome, I am so glad you enjoyed. Thank you so much for letting me know :) and I hope you enjoy many more :). I hope none of mine turn out bland
Going to make this tonight! I'm pretty new to your site, and I tried the pasilla peppers yesterday and pumpkin pancakes today. Your recipes are great. My kid (and I) loved the pancakes. Have tried a few other paleo resources and the recipes have come out pretty bland. Great job and thanks. BTW, if you get fed up cutting squash you can just throw the whole thing in the oven for about 45- 1 hr and it's done. It's a lot easier to cut that way.