Savory Sausage & Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash
Even those picky eaters in your life will enjoy squash when it’s stuffed with juicy Italian sausage, crisp-tender apples, celery, and kale, and seasoned with glorious fall-inspired herbs including sage, rosemary, and thyme. I love the texture contrast between the winter squash, the protein, and all those bits of veggies and apples mixed in. It’s really like little bits of fall-flavored surprises in every bite. Your house smells like Thanksgiving when this sausage and apple stuffed acorn squash bakes thanks to the herbs used. For those wanting to serve the stuffed sausage acorn squash as a main course, go right ahead because it’s plenty hearty. Or if you’d like to make it as a side dish — for example, for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner — everyone will be in agreement that stuffed acorn squash gets high marks in the comfort food side dish arena. A bonus is that this healthy stuffed squash recipe is naturally gluten-free, and I provided many alternatives to keep it vegetarian or vegan below. Ingredients in Stuffed Acorn Squash with Sausage For this easy and very fall festive acorn stuffed squash with sausage recipe, you’ll need the following common fridge and pantry ingredients:
Acorn Squash – you’ll need 2 medium-sized acorn squash Italian Sausage – feel free to use hot Italian ground sausage, sweet Italian sausage, chorizo, ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey Olive Oil Onion Garlic Kale Apple – I used and like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for this stuffed squash recipe, but any firmer and more crisp apple like a Gala or Fuji are good choices. I peel them, but you can keep the apples unpeeled if desired Celery Sage Rosemary Thyme Salt Black Pepper Nuts and/or seeds Feta cheese, optional (queso fresco or Parmesan cheese may be substituted)
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Stuffed Acorn Squash with Sausage
The stuffed sausage acorn squash looks beautiful on your table, but it’s actually very simple to make! Here are the basic recipe steps:
How to Cut an Acorn Squash for Stuffing
Step 1: Slice the stem off the top. This will provide a flat surface for cutting the squash in half when you flip it so that the now flattened side can be in contact with your cutting board. Accomplish this by using sawing motions to cut. Your other hand (probably left) will be holding the squash steady. Your holding hand should have your fingers curled back like a claw to avoid any encounter with the blade. Step 2: Place the squash cut side down. After the stem is removed, put that flat side in contact with your cutting board. Step 3: Cut the squash in half vertically. Now you are working with opposite side up (what I call the butt side) and you will be slicing it half, vertically. This is why it’s so important to have a flat base so that when you’re halving it, it’s not going to wiggle and move around on you. Start with a firm sawing motion, and continue as you through the squash slowly and deliberately downwards vertically. Halfway through it may be tough, so with the point of your knife angled down, use your other hand on the handle of the knife to help force the knife through.
Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dishes:
Classic Traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe — Nothing frilly or trendy. Classic, amazing, easy, homemade stuffing that everyone loves! Simple ingredients with stellar results! It’ll be your new go-to recipe! – First, be careful! This should go without saying but kitchen accidents happen and I want to help you prevent one!– Use a sturdy cutting board. Don’t grab that wobbly, flimsy plastic one that jiggles around easily.– Use a large, sharp knife. The sharpest knives are actually the safest.Use caution of course at all times and cut through your squash however you see best fit. The tips I’ve shared in the section above are what work best for me but your mileage may vary. Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! Slow Cooker Sausage Stuffing — Easy stuffing that’s full of flavor from the sausage, onions, and more! You don’t even need to brown the sausage first and everything cooks together! A time and oven-space saver on holidays! Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping — This is the BEST sweet potato casserole ever! The sweet potatoes are tender and creamy, while the streusel topping adds a delightful buttery crunch thanks to the pecans! Classic Marshmallow Sweet Potato Casserole – An EASY recipe for the BEST classic marshmallow sweet potato casserole with pecans! Tender and creamy sweet potatoes, the subtle crunch of a buttery pecan crumble, and gooey marshmallows make this comfort food side dish an automatic family FAVORITE! It’ll be on repeat for your Thanksgiving, Christmas, and holiday celebrations every year! The Best Mashed Potatoes — Buttery, creamy, PERFECT mashed potatoes that rival your favorite restaurant’s version but EASY and ready in 45 minutes! Easy Homemade Perfect Gravy — An EASY, foolproof recipe with lots of TIPS for PERFECT gravy that’s ready in 5 minutes! The whole family will LOVE this gravy over their Thanksgiving turkey, mashed potatoes, or as a comfort food addition to your dinner table during other times of the year! Best Green Bean Casserole – A healthier, modern, fresher take on classic green bean casserole! No processed soups nor canned ingredients and instead made with fresh green beans, mushrooms, red onions, and a cheesy crispy breadcrumb topping that will have the whole family going back for seconds! Put this on your Thanksgiving, Christmas, and holiday entertaining menus! Slow Cooker Cheesy Green Bean Casserole – Fresh green beans are cooked with bacon and a THREE CHEESE sauce in the slow cooker to free up valuable oven space! NO CANNED SOUP nor processed sauces here. An EASY comfort food side dish that’s perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, parties, and events! Parker House Rolls — The BEST homemade dinner rolls because they’re so light, airy, fluffy and practically melt in your mouth! They have a wonderful buttery flavor that will make them an instant family favorite at your next holiday gathering or make them for a special meal! Sweet Potato Bites with Marshmallows and Pecans – Slices of sweet potatoes are brushed with a maple cinnamon-and-sugar mixture, baked, and then topped with marshmallows and pecans! Sweet, decadent, FAST and EASY! Great for busy weeknights especially when the weather is chilly. Or put these perfect little bites on your Thanksgiving and holiday menus!
