Stuffed Squash Casserol

Grocery list:
1 butternut squash
1/2 medium onion, red or yellow
1 apple
1/4 c. craisisn or raisins
barley
brown rice
wild rice
Stuffing
cream cheese
mushrooms
butter
cheese (your choice, I like smoked Gouda)
salt and pepper

Half, clean a butternut squash. Yes you can roast the seeds.
Peel and core one apple, dice and place in the cupped out parts of squash evenly
Add a hand full of craisins or raisins
Put two TBS butter on each half, salt and pepper it to taste. I prefer lots of pepper.
Fill baking dish 1/4 with water, cover with foil and bake on 350 until squash is soft (about 40 minutes)
Remove foil last 15 minutes, when done, drain water and let cool so you can handle it.

While baking, get a pot with a lid,
put 1&1/2 cup water in
1/4 cup brown and wild rice mix
1/4 cup barley
cook on low heat, right before water has cooked out completely shut off burner and let water soak into the rice combo with lid on

In frying pan:
place 3 tbs butter and melt on low to medium heat
chop 1/2 onion
chop one container fresh mushrooms (any kind of mushroom should work)
Chop 2 cups baby leaf spinach, try to use fresh. If using frozen, make sure it is thawed and drained completely

Start with the onions, cook them down for about 2 minutes, salt them to make them sweat, place mushrooms on top and cook down, then stir and cover for about 8 minutes.

Once it looks like they have been cooked down and a slight broth has been created, add the chopped spinach, dont stir it in, just cover and let it wilt, you can add more salt to taste.

Cook this on low heat for five minutes. Turn burner off and let it sit until squash and rice is all done.

Once everything is done, dump rice in large mixing bowl, add 4 tbs cream cheese, stir until it is melted and smooth
add sauted mushrooms, onions and spinach. Stir
Either used left over home made stuffing or prepare boxed stuffing, when cooked, dump into mixture and then scoop out the squash into the bowl.

Mix well, place in clean casserole dish, sprinkle with cheese ( a smoked cheese is best but any will work)

cover and bake on 350 for about 10 minutes

this dish tastes better every day it sits, so don't worry if you have a lot left over and its a sure hit with even those who hate squash! Its a little bolder dish that takes an open mind to try but I have yet to find anyone who didn't like it.