This Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash is a gorgeous, hearty meal full of cozy flavors like winter squash, Italian turkey sausage, cranberries, and fresh herbs. No worries if you’re new to winter squash; I will show you how to easily cut and roast acorn squash to use it as a beautiful edible bowl!
Cut both ends off of each squash (so that they’ll sit flat when they’re stuffed). Cut each squash in half horizontally, and scrape out the seeds.
Place the squash into a casserole dish that’s large enough to hold them all. Drizzle on the oil, and sprinkle on the salt and black pepper. Rub the oil and spices around the inside of each squash.
Flip the squash over (so the cut sides are facing down), and cover the dish with foil. Roast until the squash is tender (a paring knife inserted in the squash should easily slide right out when it’s done), about 40 minutes.
For the Sausage Stuffing:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and sausage. Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage, and then stir in the onion and celery. Cook until the sausage is browned and the onion and celery are softened, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in the rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, black pepper, pine nuts, and cranberries. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.
To Stuff the Squash and Finish Baking:
Once the squash is tender, flip each over so the cut sides are facing up.
Divide the sausage stuffing between each squash cavity, mounding it up if necessary.
Return it to the oven and bake until the stuffing is lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
To Serve:
Serve warm topped with freshly-grated parmesan cheese.
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Notes
Storage and Reheating: Store leftovers wrapped in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat stuffed acorn squash in a 375F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes (or until warm throughout).
To Add Rice: Adding rice bumps up the flavor and nutrition and helps you get 2 more servings out of this recipe! To do so, add 2 cups of cooked rice to the filling and use 4 acorn squash instead of 3 (this will yield 8 servings).
Paleo Version: Don’t add freshly-grated parmesan cheese on top.
What is Bulk Sausage? Bulk sausage is sausage meat that hasn’t been formed into links or patties. Look for it in the fresh ground meat section of your local grocery store (near ground turkey), or in the breakfast meat area (near the bacon).
Italian Turkey Sausage: If you can’t find bulk Italian turkey sausage you can use pork sausage instead, or make your own turkey sausage! To make it, combine the following with 1 pound of ground turkey: