These delicata squash taco boats are a hearty and filling meal! Perfect for those avoiding gluten, dairy, or grains. You won’t miss the flavor in this easy dinner recipe.
Don’t you love going to the Farmer’s Market at this time of year? There are so many colorful things in season. You’ve got the last of the summer produce, like tomatoes and corn, and the first of the fall produce, like pumpkins and squash.
Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what to do with squash, isn’t it? You can do butternut squash soup, and you can bake it with brown sugar, but beyond that, it can be hard to decide how to prepare it.
Delicata squash is one of my favorite varieties, and its smallish size is perfect for stuffing with lots of different fillings. These delicata squash taco boats are an easy grain free and dairy free meal that your whole family will love!
This is a very tender squash – the skin is very thin, and the flesh is very soft! At Thanksgiving, we like to slice it and serve it roasted with cranberries.
Delicata squash skin is so thin that you can eat it, or you can just scoop out the flesh and leave the shell behind. It’s totally up to you!
Can I use a different meat in this recipe?
You can use any ground meat that works for you. I’ve made these taco boats with ground beef, ground turkey, and even ground bison. This taco filling is mild, but if you want it spicier, just increase the chili powder or add a little hot sauce.
How can I make this recipe vegan?
Try using black beans, pinto beans, your favorite plant based meat, or lentils instead of beef. You could even make the filling from my recipe for lentil sloppy joes and use that! Even some roasted sweet potatoes along with beans would make a hearty filling for these squash boats.
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Delicata Squash Taco Boats.
An easy dairy free and grain free meal, these delicata squash taco boats are healthy and tasty!
Ingredients
- 2 delicata squash sliced in half and seeded
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef or ground bison, or ground turkey
- ¾ cup sweet onion chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 3 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the halved and seeded delicata squash face up on the parchment and drizzle with a little olive oil.
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Bake the squash at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until tender.
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While the squash bakes, place the ground beef and onion in a skillet. Cook over medium heat until it is browned and cooked through. Drain off any excess grease.
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Add the spices, tomato paste, and water. Stir and cook over low heat for a few minutes to let the flavors combine.
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Once the delicata squash is done baking, remove from oven and fill with the taco meat. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
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Serve the taco boats topped with green pepper, salsa, and guacamole.
Recipe Notes
Store leftovers in the refrigerator - they should stay fresh for 3-4 days.
You can use any type of ground meat that you like! Try ground turkey, bison, lamb, etc.
You could use black beans, pinto beans, or lentils instead of meat to make this a vegan dish.
Kathryn
These look amazing! Morgan will love these! She started a physical fitness course and has to keep a food and exercise log. She has been begging me to come up with some healthy and yummy recipes so that she can record good things in her log. This will be great!
Kelly Roenicke
I hope you love them! :)