Savory, and sweet with a touch of heat blends perfectly in this sausage and apple stuffed acorn squash.
Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash
Stuffed squash is one of our favorite ways to enjoy all the squash fall brings. I love not only the flavor combinations but the ease of the squash being the entire meal, no sides needed.
I have always made stuffed acorn squash with the traditional yellow squash that is green on the outside. However, when shopping I noticed white acorn squash.
I was excited to try the white squash since I’d never seen it before this. A little bit of research tells me that white acorn squash is also called white pepper squash.
It turns out that the white version of acorn squash cooks a little bit faster and has a very mild flavor. It was fun to try something new, but in the end, the whole family decided they prefer traditional yellow squash both for flavor and texture.
Speaking of cooking squash, I suggest finding equal-sized squash for this recipe. Mainly so that everything finishes cooking at the same time.
Keeping your stuffed squash upright can be a challenge, if your squash falls over in the pan make individual tin foil rings to set them on. Four usually fit nicely together in a 9×13 pan. It can be a bit of a puzzle to get them all in and propped up.
For the stuffing, I love the flavor you get from hot sausage. But mild is fine as well, I usually use a pork sausage but a seasoned chicken sausage works great.
There’s no need to peel the apples just give them a fine chop before adding them to the skillet. I like the texture of keeping the walnuts a bit coarser.
Fresh greens, spicy red onions, crunchy walnuts, chewy sweet raisins and cranberries, salty Parmesan, and roasted Acorn squash come together with a tangy sweet maple vinaigrette in this winter squash salad.
Acorn Squash with Sausage and Apples
Sweet and savory acorn squash is stuffed with ingredients that are the epitome of fall.
- 2 acorn squash
- butter
- maple syrup
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
- hot Italian sausage
- onion
- garlic
- apples
- allspice
- fresh Italian parsley
- walnuts
Sausage and Apple Acorn Squash
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the four squash halves in a 9×13 pan. Cut side up, brush with melted butter, and drizzle each squash with ½ tablespoon of maple syrup, season with salt and pepper. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 40 minutes.
- While the squash is baking, brown the sausage in a large skillet. When the sausage is almost cooked, add the onion and garlic. Continue cooking until the onions are tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the apples and allspice, saute just until the apples begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the parsley and walnuts. Stir to combine.
- Remove the squash from the oven and fill with the sausage mixture. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for an additional 20 minutes or until the squash is tender when poked with a fork.
- Drizzle with the remaining maple syrup before serving.
Savory Sweet with a Hint of Heat
I know it sounds funny but savory, sweet with a hint of heat is a flavor combination that wins me over every time!
This sweet and spicy chicken stir fry is a favorite for my ever-hungry crew. This stir fry uses seasonal fresh vegetables for a quick to prepare meal.
Sweet and Sour Chicken Kabobs on the grill are a lightened-up fresh version of a favorite Chinese take-out dish.
More heat than sweet ground beef, black beans, and corn are cooked with Mexican spices and then tucked inside fresh bell peppers to create a cheesy, flavorful filling for these Spicy Mexican Stuffed Peppers.
Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 2 acorn squash halved with seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup divided
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage
- 1 small onion diced small, about ¾ cup worth
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 medium apples chopped into ½-inch pieces, about 1½ cups worth
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley chopped
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the four squash halves in a 9×13 pan. Cut side up, brush with melted butter, and drizzle each squash with ½ tablespoon of maple syrup, season with salt and pepper. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 40 minutes.
- While the squash is baking, brown the sausage in a large skillet. When the sausage is almost cooked, add the onion and garlic. Continue cooking until the onions are tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the apples and allspice, saute just until the apples begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the parsley and walnuts. Stir to combine.
- Remove the squash from the oven and fill with the sausage mixture. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for an additional 20 minutes or until the squash is tender when poked with a fork.
- Drizzle with the remaining maple syrup before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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