Achieving an attractive browned finish to slow-cooked food usually isn’t easy, but that isn’t a problem here. The cut sides of acorn squash wedges lie on top of skillet-browned onions and brown as they slow cook; then the onions are incorporated into a brown-sugar-and-walnut sauce to top the squash. “Browning” never looked better!
Slow Cooker Size/Shape: 3- to 4-quart round or oval
Slow Cooking Time: 4 hours on low, OR 2 hours on high
Nutrition Facts

Ingredients
- OR1 teaspoon canola oil (or)
- 1 teaspoon corn oil
- 1 medium diced onion
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 large acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), seeds and strings discarded, cut into 4 wedges
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon light tub margarine
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons canola or corn oil
- Cooking spray
Directions
- Lightly spray the slow cooker with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Cook the onion for 3 to 4 minutes, or until beginning to lightly brown, stirring frequently. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Stir in the water, walnuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Arrange each squash wedge with a cut side down on top of the onion mixture, making sure that a cut side of each squash wedge touches the onion mixture. Cook, covered, on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours, or until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork.
- Place the squash wedges on plates. Stir the remaining ingredients into the onion mixture. Spoon over the squash.