Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Use a sharp, sturdy knife to cut the acorn squash in half from stem to tip. Use a metal spoon to scrape out the seeds and stringy bits from the inside of the squash.

Place the squash cut-side-up in a roasting pan or jelly roll pan. Brush the entire surface of the acorn squash halves with melted butter, salt and pepper and 1-2 teaspoons of brown sugar.

Bake for approximately 45-60 minutes or until tops are nice and golden brown and the squash flesh is soft and cooked through.  It is better to slightly overcook your acorn squash than undercook it, so if you are unsure if it's cooked, add more time.  When done, remove from the oven and allow time to cool before serving.

As the squash is roasting, prepare the oatmeal filling. Add the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl and mix to combine. Add the milk, egg, vanilla, and dried cranberries to the mixing bowl and mix well.

Once squash has finished cooking, remove from the oven and lower heat to 350 degrees F. Fill each squash with the prepared oatmeal filling and return to the oven to cook for an additional 20 minutes, or until the oatmeal is baked.

To serve, remove the squash from the oven and top with pomegranate arils, maple syrup, almond butter, and additional milk or cream, if desired.