Quinoa Stuffed Squash

• 4- 1 pounds Winter squash such as Amber Cup or Golden Nugget
• 8 ounces Sausage, any kind you like but if you use pork be sure to drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat left behind after cooking
• 1/2 cup carrot, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large portabella mushroom, roughly chopped
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1. Prepare the squash. Cut off the top of each squash about a quarter of the way down. Scoop out the seeds and scrape the inside of the squash. Place two of the squash in a microwave safe dish. I used an 11 x 7-inch dish. Fill the dish with 1-inch of water. Microwave on high for 15 minutes. Remove squash from the dish and place on a plate to cool. If you are using 4 squash, repeat the process with the remaining two squash.
2. Preheat oven to 375?.
3. Cook the quinoa. In a medium saucepan bring 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water to a boil. Turn the heat down, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the quinoa is soft and grains appear translucent.
4. While the squash and quinoa are cooking, prepare the filling. Heat a large skillet with a swirl of olive oil over medium-high heat. Remove the casings from the sausage and add to the pan. Saute the sausage for about 5 minutes, stirring and crumbling with a wooden spoon. Add the carrot, onion, garlic, and mushroom. Cook, stirring often, until the mushroom releases its juices and the carrot it soft.
5. Remove the skillet from the heat. Mix in the quinoa, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper and a 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
6. Place the squash on one or two baking sheets, depending on how many squash you used. Also place the squash tops on the baking sheet(s). Fill the squash with the quinoa mixture. Top each with 1-2 tablespoons of shredded cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

winter, sausage, carrot, onion, garlic, portabella mushroom, quinoa, water, parsley, thyme, salt, freshly ground black pepper, cheese

Taken from food52.com/recipes/14985-quinoa-stuffed-squash (may not work)