Acorn Squash & Apple Gumbo

Ingredients:

• 2 cups apple cider
• 2 acorn squash, quartered and deseeded
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp light brown sugar
• ½ cup dried cranberries or craisins
• 2 cups diced apples (preferably Pink Lady, but you may substitute)
• 1 lemon, juice only or 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 3 tbsp chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Turn your slow cooker on high and allow to warm as you assemble the ingredients.
2. Pour in the apple cider first, then add the squash with the skin side down. Sprinkle each section of the squash with salt, butter, brown sugar, and dried cranberries.
3. Add cut apples around the squash and pour the lemon juice directly over the apples. Then sprinkle it with cinnamon and pour the maple syrup over the top.
4. Cook on high for 3-4 hours. Make sure the squash is fork tender before you finish cooking.
5. To serve, you can either pull out the squash, let it cool for a minute and scoop out the flesh and add it back to the slow cooker to eat like a stew, or you can plate the squash and stuff the “gumbo mixture” on top to serve. Either way you are in for a yummy treat!