Sausage-Stuffed Acorn Squash

I absolutely love the recipe I’m sharing today. It’s flavorful and seasonal and pretty much exactly the kind of food I want to eat around this time of year.

When I told Joe I was making this for dinner, he was skeptical. “I’ve only ever had acorn squash roasted with brown sugar and cinnamon,” he told me. That’s how his grandma makes it, and while I’d never (ever!) say no to squash prepared that way, I think it’s also delicious in more savory applications. Acorn squash isn’t quite as sweet as its butternut counterpart, so it’s the perfect squash to use with savory flavors.

In this version, sausage is mixed with stuffing, vegetables, nuts, and dried cranberries to create a filling that has the perfect balance of flavors and textures. It’s endlessly adaptable, which makes it a perfect way to use up your leftover Thanksgiving stuffing, or even cranberry sauce.

Sausage-Stuffed Acorn Squash
adapted from Cooks.com

2 acorn squash

1 stick melted butter, divided

1 pound maple sausage
1 box stuffing mix

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

8 ounces mushrooms, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup toasted chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half and hollow out inside stings and seeds. Cook in a pan with 1 inch of water, cut sides down, for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, sauté onions and mushrooms until onions are softened and mushrooms are brown. Add garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

3. In a bowl, mix together raw sausage, uncooked stuffing mix, broth, 1/2 stick of melted butter, sautéed vegetables, cranberries and pecans. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Remove squash from oven, drain pan, flip squash and brush with remaining melted butter. Fill cavities with stuffing mix.

5. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour or until squash is tender. Remove foil and continue to bake uncovered for 15 minutes.