Hot Honey Chili Mac Stuffed Squash (Printable View)

Roasted acorn squash halves filled with creamy chili mac featuring hot honey, beans, and melted cheddar for a cozy sweet-heat twist.

# What You’ll Need:

→ 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, 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

# How To Make It:

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 35-40 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 3 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic, red bell pepper, and jalapeño; cook 4-5 minutes until softened.
03 - Add kidney beans, black beans, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and hot honey to skillet. Stir to combine and bring to gentle simmer.
04 - Stir in elbow macaroni, cover skillet, and cook while stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes until pasta reaches al dente. Add 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 are cool enough to handle, flip cut-side up. Spoon generous portions of chili mac into each squash half.
07 - Drizzle additional hot honey over each filled squash half. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro before serving.

# Best Practices:

01 -
  • It's a complete meal hiding inside vegetables that actually look impressive on the plate.
  • The hot honey brings just enough sweet heat to keep things interesting without overwhelming your palate.
  • You can make it vegetarian or throw in ground meat depending on what your kitchen mood calls for that day.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans—that starchy liquid will make your chili taste tinny and cloud the flavors you're trying to build.
  • The hot honey needs to go in twice: once during cooking to build flavor depth, and again as a finish so you actually taste that sweet heat on your tongue.
  • If your pasta looks done but still feels slightly firm, that's exactly when you should stop cooking it—it will continue softening as the mixture cools slightly.
03 -
  • Roast your squash cut-side down first so the exposed flesh caramelizes and gets slightly crispy around the edges before you flip it to fill.
  • If you're adding ground meat, brown it completely before adding the onion, then drain excess fat so your final dish isn't greasy.
  • Make your hot honey ahead of time by gently warming regular honey with hot sauce or cayenne pepper, then let it cool and store it in a jar so you always have it ready.
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