Christmas Tree Stuffed Butternut Squash #2 — KID-FRIENDLY! (GAPS)

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This Christmas Tree Stuffed Butternut Squash recipe is a fun seasonal cooking project to do with or for your kids! GAPS-friendly, primal, gluten-free and artistic! 🙂

This recipe is the second in a 2-part series (two designs). Find dairy-free design #1 HERE.

How to make Christmas Tree Stuffed Butternut Squash

Of the two butternut squash Christmas tree designs I made, this was my kids’ favorite:

• Half a piece of hothouse cucumber makes the trunk.
• Cranberries and olive rings make the balls.
• Diced red and yellow bell peppers make the garland and pretty contrasting colors.

• A larger portion of the squash is hollowed out to make room for more filling.  (By the way, have you seen my first post about partially cooking the winter squash first? Go here to see the directions for stuffed butternut squash prep.)

• Sauteed greens “bank” the squash.

• The green bell pepper slices make GREAT tree branches.

• This one isn’t dairy-free, so lots of aged cheese is mixed in with the filling and sprinkled on the filling before adding the decorations.

• The filling is extra-easy on this one: just cooked up ground meat of choice, mixed with grated, aged cheese, the scooped out, mashed neck of the butternut, and s&p!

• Last but not least? I’d love to show you a cutting trick I learned in my days as a sushi chef! 🙂  So let’s make the MUSHROOM STAR.
  • (Use a crimini or shitaki mushroom.)

Cooking instructions for Christmas Tree Stuffed Butternut Squash

1. Spray your creation with coconut oil and sprinkle with the “falling snow” 🙂 of mineral-rich sea salt.
2. Bake your winter squash for about 40 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven.