Roasted turkey with stuffing is the quintessential holiday meal, but it also can be something of a pain if you don't have a huge oven or are wary about ending up with too many leftovers.

This meal-in-one is the perfect solution for smaller appetites because it incorporates all of the wonderful fall flavors of Thanksgiving in one picturesque dish.

If you use gluten-free panko bread crumbs and soy-free "butter" spread, as Liz Fetchin, the Pittsburgh author of the Thanksgiving e-book "An Octofree Thanksgiving" suggests in this easy recipe, it's also friendly to those with food allergies.

Both ingredients are easy to find in most grocery stores, taste almost the same as the "real" thing and, best of all, make the holidays less stressful for everyone at the table, regardless of diet.

Look for acorn squash that is heavy for its size and has smooth, dull skin with no soft spots. The color should be a good mix of green and orange. Because they're being stuffed with meat and rice, err on the larger side so you don't end up with a lot of leftover filling.

The squash's hard, curved skin might seem like it would be inedible, but after roasting, it becomes soft enough to eat by the forkful. But you also can separate the peel from the meat pretty easily if you prefer a skin-free dish.

I used fresh thyme and sage instead of dried and pre-made, packaged wild rice to cut down on cooking time. For a sweeter dish, add chopped apples, raisins or craisins, or a combination of all three.

Turkey and Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash

PG tested

2 large acorn squash, halved vertically with seeds and strings scooped out

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Salt and pepper

1 shallot, diced (about 1/4 cup)

1 pound ground turkey

1/2 cup cooked wild rice, homemade or packaged (make sure it does not contain soy or other allergens)

1 cup button or shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried sage

1 tablespoon soy-free Earth Balance

1 cup gluten-free panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place squash halves, cut side up, on a parchment-lined or lightly oiled baking sheet. Spray or brush the squash flesh with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper, place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for about 45 minutes, or until the squash is fork-tender.

In the meantime, prepare the filling and topping: Heat remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan.

Add diced shallot and cook until translucent but not brown, approximately 4 minutes.

Add ground turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and cooking until it's light brown, about 7 minutes.

Add mushrooms and wild rice, stir to combine with other ingredients, then add thyme, sage, salt and pepper.

Cook, stirring often, for about another 10 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender and turkey is nice and brown and cooked all the way through.

Melt soy-free Earth Balance in a small saute pan over medium heat.

Add panko breadcrumbs and toss to combine, then allow to cook in pan for about 10 minutes or until toasted, stirring often to avoid burning.

Remove squash from oven, and stuff each one with about 1/4 of the turkey mixture. (Depending on size of squash, you may have some left over.) Top with toasted panko and serve.

Serves 4.

— Liz Fetchin