Twice Baked Butternut Squash - PCOS-Friendly Recipe
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
- 1 (2-pound) butternut squash
- ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 links apple chicken sausage, diced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh sage
- ½ cup fat free, low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup nonfat ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Halve the squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and spray with cooking spray. Season the squash with salt (optional), pepper, and fresh nutmeg. Lay the squash cut side up on the baking sheet and roast until just tender, about 35 minutes. Remove the squash from the oven and set aside.
- While the squash is roasting, add the olive oil to a medium non-stick sauté pan and sauté the sausage and sage until golden brown.
- Scoop the flesh of the squash into a bowl keeping the skins intact. Mash the squash flesh with the chicken stock and the ricotta cheese and then stir in the cooked sausage and sage.
- Stuff the squash shells with the mashed squash mixture, top with the parmesan cheese, and bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown on top.
- Cut each squash half in half again before serving.
How This Recipe Supports PCOS Management
Understanding the nutritional profile of what you eat is a powerful step in managing PCOS. Here is how the key ingredients in this Twice Baked Butternut Squash contribute to your health goals:
- Chicken: Protein-rich meals help manage insulin resistance common in PCOS
- Olive oil: Anti-inflammatory properties make it especially beneficial for PCOS
PCOS Diet Principles in This Recipe
The PCOS diet focuses on three core principles: reducing inflammation, managing insulin resistance, and supporting hormonal balance. Every recipe in our collection is evaluated against these principles. This recipe excels in providing protein-rich ingredients that help regulate appetite hormones (ghrelin and leptin), and healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that support cell membrane health and hormone synthesis. As part of a balanced PCOS meal plan, we recommend pairing recipes like this with a variety of nutrient-dense foods throughout the week to ensure you are meeting all your micronutrient needs.
Meal Prep Tip: This Twice Baked Butternut Squash can be prepared ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Meal prepping is one of the most effective strategies for sticking to a PCOS-friendly diet, as it removes the temptation to reach for processed convenience foods when time is short.
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