Arizona Chicken in Acorn Squash

Give stuffed acorn squash a taste of the Southwest with this comforting recipe. We love the crunch of the toasted almonds, heat of green chilies and creamy texture of the avocado.

—Martha Sparlin, Albuquerque, NM

Prep: 25 min.

• Bake: 65 min. Makes: 6 servings

3 medium acorn squash

6 tsp. butter

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

11/₄ cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup sour cream

1/₃ cup chopped green onions

1 can (21/₄ oz.) sliced ripe olives, drained

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/₄ tsp. pepper

1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cut into 12 slices

6 Tbsp. slivered almonds, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cut each squash crosswise in half; discard seeds. Cut a thin slice from bottom of each squash half to allow it to lie flat. Place on a 15x10-in. baking sheet, cut side up; fill each with 1 tsp. butter. Bake until fork-tender, about 40 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine the chicken, cheese, chilies, celery, sour cream, green onions, olives, paprika and pepper. Spoon mixture into squash.

3. Bake until filling is heated through and squash is tender, 20-25 minutes. Top with avocado and nuts.

1 squash half: 492 cal., 28g fat (11g sat. fat), 80mg chol., 404mg sod., 43g carb. (9g sugars, 9g fiber), 25g pro.