Acorn Squash with Barley and Goat Cheese

Trying to stay on a budget can definitely be a challenge.

Josh and I are making an effort to stick to a budget without sacrificing time with friends. Dinner, movies, concerts, plays, coffee, all things we love to do, especially with others. But sometimes we have to be creative to make these things happen without blowing the budget.

A couple of weeks ago we made plans to meet up with some great friends to catch up over coffee. In an effort to not spend money on dinner, I quickly threw these Acorn Squash with Barley and Goat Cheese together that morning so we could take them to work with us and heat them up for dinner.

Let me say that again, I made them before work. Which means they are perfect for those nights when you need to make something quick, without sacrificing health.

Depending on the size of your Acorn Squash, you may have some of the filling left over. I had a little less than half the bowl left, which was perfect thrown on a salad the next day.

For nutritional benefits of Acorn Squash, check out my Roasted Acorn Squash and Farro Salad here.

Keeping it short and sweet today, just like the time it takes to make this dish, I hope you give it a try!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Acorn Squash with Barley and Goat Cheese

Acorn squash loaded with barley, kale, and onion then topped with goat cheese!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: acorn squash, barley, goat cheese

Servings: 2

Calories: 278kcal

Author: Kaylee Pauley

Ingredients

• 1 Acorn squash
• 1/2 cup Trader Joe 10 minute barley
• 1-2 cups Tuscan kale chopped
• 1/2 cup onion chopped
• 1 poblano pepper finely chopped
• 2 tbsp goat cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Cut Acorn Squash into quarters, use knife to slice cross pattern cuts into flesh and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until flesh is tender.
• Cook barley on stovetop according to directions on package.
• While barley cooks, add onions and poblano pepper to separate pan and sauté in coconut cooking spray until translucent.
• Add chopped kale to pan and cook until tender/crispy. Remove kale, peppers and onions from pan, add to small bowl and combine with cooked barley.
• Remove Acorn Squash from oven, scrap out cooked flesh from the center of each quarter and add flesh to barley and veggie mixture.
• Stir the cooked squash with the barley and veggie, then spoon mixture back into squash quarters, top with goat cheese and bake additional 10 minutes. Serve!

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 59.5g | Protein: 8.9g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 43.9mg | Fiber: 8.7g | Sugar: 12.3g