A whole squash hollowed and filled with seasoned ground beef, rice and vegetables, then baked until tender, a comforting Brazilian family dinner.
Abobora recheada uses a whole winter squash, often a Brazilian abobora or a similar kabocha-type variety, as an edible serving vessel, hollowed out and stuffed with a hearty filling before being baked until completely tender. The filling combines ground beef with rice, tomato, onion and corn, seasoned simply but generously, so it becomes a self-contained, well-balanced meal once spooned back into the roasted squash shell. As the squash bakes, its flesh softens enough to be scooped and eaten alongside the filling, or the whole thing can be sliced into wedges at the table, the sweet squash flesh playing well against the savory beef and rice inside.
Serves 4
Cut the top off the squash, scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp, and brush the inside with a little olive oil.
Bake the hollowed squash (with its top set alongside) at 190C/375F for 25 minutes to soften slightly before filling.
Meanwhile, cook onion in olive oil until soft, add garlic, then brown the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks.
Stir in diced tomato, cooked rice, corn, salt and pepper, cooking 5 minutes until combined and heated through.
Fill the pre-baked squash generously with the beef and rice mixture, pressing it down gently.
Pre-baking the squash briefly before stuffing ensures the flesh finishes cooking at the same time as the filling heats through.
Sprinkle mozzarella over the top and bake, uncovered, another 20-25 minutes until the squash is fully tender and the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Garnish with parsley and serve, scooping out both the filling and the tender squash flesh together.
Pre-bake the hollowed squash before stuffing it — this ensures the dense squash flesh cooks through at the same rate as the quicker-cooking filling.
Choose a squash with a wide, sturdy base so it sits upright and stable in the oven without tipping over.
Scoop out all the stringy pulp and seeds thoroughly before filling, since leftover strings turn unpleasantly fibrous once baked.
A vegetarian version fills the squash with black beans, rice and vegetables instead of ground beef.
Some versions mix a bit of the scooped squash flesh directly into the filling for extra sweetness and texture.
Ground turkey or chicken can substitute for beef for a leaner filling.
Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container; reheat covered in a 180C/350F oven until warmed through.
Stuffed squash dishes are common across Brazilian home cooking, using the country's abundant winter squash varieties as a practical, visually impressive way to serve a filling family meal using a single vegetable as both container and side dish.
Kabocha or a small butternut squash both work well, chosen for their sturdy shells that hold up through two rounds of baking.
Slice a thin piece off the bottom (being careful not to cut through) to create a flat, stable base.
It likely needs more time — dense squash varieties can take longer than expected, so extend the baking time and check with a fork before serving.
Per serving (400g / 14.1 oz) · 4 servings total
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