Here at Conestoga Chuck the humans try to eat healthy too and thanks to the Instant pot they can! Tonight’s dinner is a family favorite and we make this quite often. It’s easy, inexpensive, and the ingredients can be kept on hand for quite a long while even tho they are mostly fresh!
Butternut squash has a very long shelf life and can easily last 6 months in a cool dark place (like the fridge) and was a staple of the pioneers during winter because it was easy to store in a cellar house. Ready to eat whenever the pioneers needs some fresh foods, all winter long… hence why it’s called a winter squash. Also easy to grow! Make a spot in your garden next spring and plant some butternut squash! It’s also very handy to plant around the outer perimeter of your garden to help keep the deer from eating your more delicate veggies. That’s what we do! An old pioneer farmer trick that works great!
So the first thing is to cut the top off the butternut squash so you can then cut it in half lengthwise and using a spoon scoop out the seeds. (Save the seeds and let them dry out on a paper towel and once dry put the paper towel with the seeds folded up in it inside a zip bag and then toss the bag in the freezer so you can use those seeds to plant in the spring! )
Next put about two cups of water in the instant pot and then your trivet rack with the handles (you are going to need those handles to remove your squash later). Place the squash on top of the rack. If the squash is too big to fit 2 whole halves you may have to cut it in quarters… but that’s ok (been there done that… no worries).
Cook on manual high pressure for 20 minutes.
While the squash is cooking you are going to make the stuffing on the stovetop. Use the brand you like best.
Follow the directions for the bread stuffing and add a can of chicken. You will find the canned chicken in the canned tuna isle at most grocery stores… usually. You can drain the canned chicken or substitute the juices for some of the water you need for making the stuffing… your decision. Mix that together in your pot and put it to the side.
Take the squash out of the Instant Pot and place it in a casserole pan. Now everyone knows my love of vintage Corning ware and yes I have a vintage Corning ware lasagna pan I use for this next part lol… sprinkle some brown sugar on top of the butternut squash (you can also use coconut sugar or maple sugar). Then “stuff” the top of the squash with your chicken stuffing mixture.
Back to decision making time:
1. You can serve it as is if you like your stuffing moist…
Or
2. I like my stuffing a little toasted (hence the need for the lasagna pan). I put the pan in the oven on broil for a minute or two in order to toast the top of the stuffing and allow the brown sugar to melt into the layers a bit more. It only takes a few minutes more and it makes the meal a lot yummier in my opinion. Your choice tho. You could also use a toaster oven or convection oven if that’s what you have in your RV.
My hubby absolutely hated squash meals of any kind until I made him this meal and now he regularly asks me to make this recipe and he never leaves anything but the outer butternut skin (which we don’t eat BTW) on his plate after dinner lol even kids like this meal. If you have a baby in the house don’t be afraid to put aside some of the cooked squash and mush it up for baby food. Many babies have loved and eaten tons of mushed up butternut squash in our family.
And before you ask:
1. Yes vintage corning ware will say right on the bottom “range” …indicating it is safe to use on the stove top even tho it looks like a casserole dish… it’s great for boiling noodles and making stuffing etc lol and (shhh it might void my 1950’s- 1960’s warranty lol) I’ve even used my vintage Corning ware on the fire pit while camping!
2. Why yes! Yes that is a vintage Corning ware pie plate that we use for our dinner plates. Lol my husbands preferred mess free plate and we use them mostly as dinner plates, but sometimes we bake a pie or something else in them as well lol. The pie plates are the most used items in our kitchen and please! please! please! more minimalist millennials cleaning out your parents and grandparents hoarding mess of a kitchen… do drop off as many of these pie plates as you can find at my local thrift store 🙂 I could use a few more! (And they are hard to find!) but call me first so I can stand by the door to scoop them up! (No joke folks, I love my vintage Corning ware!)
Conestoga Chuck 