Creamy Chicken & Rice, Acorn Squash

Last night I tried my first Pioneer Woman recipe. We had picked out a couple of Acorn squash at the pumpkin patch with the intent of baking them and Pioneer Woman posted a recipe recently that looked yummy so we gave it a try. Love You, Pioneer Woman, but not your squash!
You can see her recipe here.

Here they are after 20 minutes of roasting with the sugar/butter paste added.
Lookin' good so far.

They weren't quite done when the recipe said they would be. I had a Chicken casserole in the oven set at 425 degrees. I popped the squash back into the oven at that temperature for another 15 minutes. At the end of that time, they were fork tender.

At first my husband LOVED them, then he LIKED them, then He said, "We should try it differently next time." ??? He ate almost half the dish.

The olive oil, brown sugar and rosemary was an interesting combination. They smelled delectable, but the flavors just did not gel for me. I ate two wedges to be polite. Each of the kids took one bite and looked like they were going to die - not pretty.

We'd like to try Acorn squash again, but this time we'll leave off the olive oil and substitute some other non-healthy fat, I'm sure. The rosemary? Maybe a little less or something else. The sugar/butter mixture...that can stay!

Here's what we had for dinner last night - Creamy Chicken and Rice, Acorn Squash and Steamed Broccoli. It definitely felt like a Autumn Comfort Meal.

Creamy Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:

4 C cooked rice (2 dry)
½ C butter or margarine, divided
¼ C flour
2 C milk
2 t chicken bouillon granules
½ - 1 t seasoned salt
½ t garlic powder
¼ t pepper
4 – 5 C cubed cooked chicken
12 oz. process American cheese, cubed
2 C (16 oz) sour cream
1 ¼ C crushed butter-flavored crackers (@ 32)

Spread rice into a greased shallow 3-qt. or 13x9x2” baking dish; set aside. In a saucepan, melt ¼ C butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk, bouillon, seasoned salt, garlic powder and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 min or until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; add chicken, cheese and sour cream; stir until the cheese is melted. Pour over rice. Melt the remaining butter; toss with cracker crumbs. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees for 10- 15 min or until heated through.

Serving: 6-8
Recipe Given By: Quick Cooking M/A 1999 p. 28