Keto Stuffing — Three Old Recipes in One Bowl

Late July. Hot. The tomatoes are slowing after a big week. The squash is proliferating in the way that squash proliferates — you check on Monday and there is one squash, and by Friday there are twelve, and you are giving squash to the neighbors and making squash in every form you know and still the squash keeps coming. Zucchini, yellow summer squash, a small delicata from a seed Hannah got through the seed library that is technically a winter squash but is producing early. I am not complaining. I am just noting: the garden is very productive this year and the kitchen has to be creative about it.

I made stuffed squash with venison and dried corn and wild garlic Thursday. Hollow out the squash, sauté the venison with the corn and the garlic and dried wild onion and black beans, stuff the squash, bake until the squash is tender. It is essentially the Three Sisters in different configuration — corn, squash, beans — with venison added because the venison is in the freezer and it always belongs in these dishes. Hannah tasted it and said it was a new recipe. I said it was three old recipes in one bowl. She said that was the best kind of new recipe. We agreed on that. We agree on most things when the food is right.

Danny called Thursday evening while I was still cleaning up from the stuffed squash. He wanted to know what I was making for this week. I described it. He was quiet for a moment. Then he said: "My mother used to stuff squash with corn." I said: "What did she put in it?" He said: "Just corn. And something else I can't remember now." He was frustrated for a moment, the specific frustration of a memory that almost arrives and then pulls back. I said: "Dried beans, maybe?" He said: "Maybe. Maybe beans." He said he would try to remember. I said I would look it up through Lily's recordings. He said good. Then he said: "Your version is good." I said thank you. He said you are welcome. That is the whole thing. That is every dinner.

The stuffed squash I described above is more of a technique than a fixed recipe — you use what’s in the freezer, what’s in the garden, what your grandmother may or may not have put in hers. But when people ask me to write it down, I keep coming back to the stuffing itself: the savory, herb-forward filling that holds everything together. This keto stuffing is the closest I can get to that Thursday-night bowl in a format that travels — one you can make whether or not the squash is proliferating in your garden, and one that Danny’s mother might have recognized even if she can’t quite remember the beans.

Keto Stuffing

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets (about 4 cups)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, low sodium
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
2. Roast the cauliflower. Spread cauliflower florets on a rimmed baking sheet, dot with 2 tablespoons of the butter cut into small pieces, and season lightly with salt. Roast for 18–20 minutes until the edges are golden and the florets are just tender. Remove and let cool slightly, then roughly chop into coarse crumbles. This is your “bread” base.
3. Sauté the aromatics. While the cauliflower roasts, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until softened and fragrant. Add the garlic, sage, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper and cook another 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Combine. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the roasted cauliflower crumbles and the sautéed vegetable mixture. Pour in the broth and stir until evenly moistened. Add the beaten eggs and the parsley and fold gently until fully incorporated. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
5. Bake. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread in an even layer. Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes until the top is lightly golden and the stuffing is set through the center. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
6. Serve. Scoop alongside roasted meat, inside hollowed squash halves, or straight from the pan. It holds well and reheats gently with a splash of broth to restore moisture.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 105 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 6g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 210mg