My Picky Toddler Ate Squash?! *Recipe Included!*

 The thing with food that keeps is that one usually puts off eating it for a very long time and then when you finally decide to cook it up into something tasty it is a mushy pile of icky! I've been storing one lonely little  Acorn squash in the pantry for quite some time. This weekend I decided that I did not want a good thing to go to waste so I finally dug it out. One problem though... I was not in the mood to eat the normal buttery, brown sugary, gloppy mess that squash usually is. So I did a quick online search and came up with Emeril's "Baked Acorn Squash Filled with Italian Sausage and Rigatoni Pasta." I thought it sounded a little strange but was willing to give it a try. I printed it out and taped it to my cupboard door above the knives and started rummaging around the kitchen for the ingredients. That's when I realized I only had the mozzarella cheese and a squash. Soooo... I went into creativity mode and came up with a dish that will forever be on my menu and that I am pretty sure even my husband will be willing to eat! I am still not sure what to call it. I'm open for suggestions!

*Edit: My friend suggested Pizza Squash! I like it and for lack of a better idea at this time... Pizza Squash it will be.

Pizza Squash
Ingredients
1 Acorn Squash - cut in half and clean the seeds out!
Olive Oil
Salt
Black Pepper
1/2 C. Water
1/4 C. Chopped Pepperoni Slices
1/2 C. Mozzarella Cheese - cut into 1/2" cubes.
1 C. Whole Wheat Pasta - cooked until soft.
2/3 C. Spaghetti Sauce - I used Francesco Rinaldi's Chunky Garden Combo.

Directions

• Turn on your oven. 350 degrees F is the perfect temperature for baking squash.
• Cut the cute little squash in half and scrape out the seeds with a soup spoon. Place the two halves flesh side up in an 8"x8" glass baking dish.
• This next step is of utmost importance! Give your toddler a pastry brush and some olive oil in a little bowl and let her brush it on to her heart's content while you dice the cheese, chop the pepperoni, and put water on the stove to boil the pasta.

Isn't she the cutest little helper ever? She was very, very serious about getting the olive oil applied evenly!

• After applying the olive oil, sprinkle a pinch of salt and grind some black pepper over the squash halves.
• Pour 1/2 C of water in the bottom of the pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for about 45 min.
• After the pasta is cooked, drained and cooled, mix the cheese, tomato sauce, and pepperoni in.
• Once the squash is tender, drain the juice from the hollowed out middles and stuff as much of the pasta mixture into the centers as you possibly can.
• Return to the oven uncovered and bake for 15 min more. (or until the cheese is bubbling out and the noodles are heated through.)
• When done, you should have something that resembles this!

All that's left is to let it cool a little bit and then enjoy! The cubes of cheese melt amidst the pasta for amazing gooey surprises and the combination of spicy pepperoni and tomato sauce with the squash is surprisingly delicious! I really hope you try this, my daughter loved it and even ate the squash! She is normally very picky about veggies of any kind.

Hope you enjoyed my first ever food post! There will be more...