Hot Honey Chili Mac Stuffed Squash (Printable)

Creamy chili mac with sweet heat nestled in roasted acorn squash bowls

# Ingredient List:

→ Roasted Squash

01 - 2 medium acorn squash, halved and seeds removed
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Chili Mac

05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
06 - 1 small yellow onion, diced
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
09 - 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
10 - 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
11 - 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
12 - 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
13 - 1 cup vegetable broth
14 - 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
15 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
16 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
17 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
18 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
19 - 1 tablespoon hot honey
20 - 1 cup elbow macaroni, dry
21 - 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

→ Garnish

22 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
23 - Hot honey for drizzling

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush cut sides of acorn squash halves with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes until tender when pierced with fork.
02 - While squash roasts, heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 3 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic, red bell pepper, and jalapeño; cook for 4 to 5 minutes until vegetables soften.
03 - Add kidney beans, black beans, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and hot honey to skillet. Stir thoroughly and bring to gentle simmer.
04 - Stir elbow macaroni into bean mixture. Cover skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes until pasta reaches al dente texture. Add additional broth or water if mixture becomes too thick.
05 - Remove skillet from heat. Stir in shredded cheddar cheese until fully melted and mixture becomes creamy.
06 - Once roasted squash halves cool sufficiently to handle, flip cut-side up. Spoon generous portions of chili mac mixture into each squash cavity.
07 - Drizzle each stuffed squash half with additional hot honey and sprinkle with fresh cilantro before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's a complete meal hiding inside a vegetable, which somehow makes you feel like you're eating something wholesome even though you're basically having creamy mac and cheese with beans.
  • The hot honey brings this unexpected sweetness and heat that makes your guests ask what that subtle something is, and you get to smile mysteriously while knowing it's just honey and hot sauce working overtime.
  • You can make it entirely vegetarian or sneak in meat depending on who's coming over, making it genuinely adaptable without feeling like a compromise.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans unless you enjoy a gluey, starchy filling that tastes like something went wrong—I know this because I tried once to save thirty seconds.
  • The pasta needs to go directly into the chili while both are hot, not cooked separately, because that's where it absorbs all the flavor and becomes part of something cohesive rather than a sad side dish mixed in.
  • Your squash halves should be cool enough to handle but still warm, because cold squash will cool down the filling and nobody wants that.
03 -
  • Don't stir the squash while it roasts—let it sit undisturbed so it develops a slight caramelization on the cut side that tastes infinitely better than steamed squash.
  • If your hot honey is very thick, warm it slightly before drizzling so it flows across the top instead of sitting in stubborn globs.
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