Name: Stuffed butternut squash with blue cheese and leeks
Total time: 2 h
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 large butternut squash, halved lengthways and seeds removed; 75g unsalted butter; 2 leeks, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 50g soft white breadcrumbs; 250g mixed grain pouch; 75g blue cheese (such as stilton or danish blue), crumbled; a small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; ½ lemon, juiced

Stuffed butternut squash with blue cheese and leeks

1 large butternut squash
halved lengthways and seeds removed
75g unsalted butter
2 leeks
finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
finely chopped
50g soft white breadcrumbs
250g mixed grain pouch
75g blue cheese (such as stilton or danish blue)
crumbled
a small bunch flat-leaf parsley
finely chopped
½ lemon
juiced

Method

step 1
Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Scoop out some flesh from the neck of the butternut squash, ensuring you leave a shell about 2cm thick. Finely chop the scooped-out squash and put in a frying pan with the butter, leeks and a pinch of salt. Cook gently for 15 minutes until the leeks are really soft, then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the breadcrumbs and grains, tossing until heated through. Season lightly then stir through the cheese, parsley and lemon juice.
step 2
Season the squash shell and spoon enough of the stuffing into the cavity to fill it. Put any leftover stuffing into a pan to reheat and serve later. Carefully put the two halves of the squash back together and tie with string at intervals to secure it. Put into a roasting tray and use scrunched up foil on either side to stop it rolling over. Drizzle well with the remaining olive oil, season again and roast for 1 hour 30 minutes-1 hour 45 minutes or until the squash is tender but still holding its shape.
step 3
Put onto a board and carve, serving with the remaining warmed stuffing and all the usual trimmings and gravy.