Baked Acorn Squash stuffed with sausage and apples is hearty enough for dinner. Slightly sweet and savory and easy to adapt to what you have on hand.
Squash Extravaganza week started this weekend with stuffed acorn squash for dinner. I like all types of squash, whether it’s in the form of a salad, pasta or casserole, but I especially enjoy the rich flavor of an acorn squash.
Most of the time I serve it as a side and not a main course. But this recipe was filling enough to stand on its own for dinner. I had several recipe ideas I wanted to experiment with this weekend, but this stuffed squash recipe was by far the best.
Generally, when you think of cooking an acorn squash, you’re going to need at least an hour, but you can take a short cut and decrease the time by starting it in the microwave making it more practical for a weeknight dinner. An acorn squash is much sweeter than a summer squash with a rich nutty flavor.
The sausage you use will be key. The first time I used pre-cooked chicken sausage with peppers and seasoning. It was ok but I wasn’t crazy about the chicken sausage itself. So the second time around, I used uncooked chicken sausage from the Italian market and cooked the onions, celery and apples in the same skillet as the chicken sausage.
This added so much more flavor. I used an aged white cheddar that I had leftover and it was perfect with the chicken sausage and apples. If you can’t find chicken sausage, then use an Italian sausage.
How do you make stuffed acorn squash
Step 1: Cut the squash in half and either bake in the oven for about an hour or cover and cook in the microwave for 5 minutes.
Step 2: While the squash is cooking, prepare the filling. Cook the sausage in a skillet until browned and remove to a bowl.
Step 3: In the same skillet sauté the onions, celery, and mushrooms and then add the apple. Add this mixture to the sausage mixture.
Step 4: Add panko and cheese to the mixture along with an egg white and once combined add it to the cooked acorn squash.
Step 5: Pile the filling into the squash halves and bake for about 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.
The final result is a delicious combination of flavors. This recipe is enough for two but you can easily double the ingredients. Of the four squash dishes I made this weekend, this was our favorite.
Acorn squash can be found year round in the grocery but its peak season is fall to winter. You can store it for about a month in a cool area but it should not be refrigerated unless it has already been cut. The cold temperatures in the refrigerator will cause chill damage. Once you purchase it, leave it on the counter until you’re ready to eat it.
How do you cut an acorn squash
The outer layer of an acorn squash is very firm, like a pumpkin, and can be difficult to cut through. Try poking the skin with a fork and microwaving on high for about 2 minutes. This will make it a bit easier to cut.
More SQUASH recipes
- Squash casserole
- Butternut squash salad
- Pasta and summer squash
- Squash topped with biscuits
- Acorn squash chili
- Squash crumble
- Squash galatte
Ingredients
- 1 acorn squash halved and seeded
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 garlic minced
- 4 ounces chicken sausage uncooked, removed from casing
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- ½ celery rib finely chopped
- 2 ounces mushrooms chopped
- ⅓ cup fuji apple peeled and chopped
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons sharp white cheddar cheese grated
- salt and pepper
- 1 egg white beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400º. Line a baking sheet and place the squash halves cut side up on the baking sheet. In a small dish, combine the melted butter and minced garlic. Brush the butter mixture onto the inside and outside of each squash half. Roast in the oven for 50-60 minutes until tender.
- Alternately, place the squash halves in the microwave and cover with plastic wrap; cook for 5 minutes, or until almost cooked completely.
- In a large skillet over medium heat add the sausage. Cook, breaking up with a spoon, until meat is cooked through. Remove meat to a mixing bowl and place the skillet back on the burner. Add a little olive oil and then add the onion, celery and mushrooms to the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the apples and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add the onion mixture to the sausage in a bowl. Add panko crumbs and cheese. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Add the egg white and stir until well combined.
- Evenly pile the sausage stuffing into the two cooked halves. Return to the oven and cook for an additional 18-20 minutes.
Nutrition
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on Instagram!Adapted from Emily Bites
Just wondering why you coat the inside and outside of the acorn squash with the melted butter?
The inside for the taste! The outside to keep it from sticking. You could use a cooking spray for the outside instead of butter.
OK, that makes sense.
My mother, who had a tremendous impact upon my cooking style, poked squash in the seed cavity and roasted it. Cooked, the skin was easier to slice, the seeds came out easily and the flesh was more intensely flavoured (Cdn.).
Please try it sometime.
David