Sausage, apple and rosemary stuffed acorn squash. Only 10 ingredients! Gluten Free + Paleo + Dairy Free Option

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Not only is this dish healthy and delicious, but it requires only 10 basic ingredients and comes together in a little over an hour. Most of that time is spent roasting the squash, so the hands on time for this is closer to 20-30 minutes.

The base of this recipe is made up of onion and celery meaning your kitchen is going to smell amazing from the start. And that’s all before adding the sausage and rosemary! Save the apples here for last so that there’s still bite left in them by the time dinner is served.

Cutting the acorn squash isn’t nearly as difficult as it might seem so long as you use a decent chef’s knife. Don’t bother trying to cut through the stems because they won’t budge. Start at the bottom of one stem and cut through the squash until you reach the other side. At this point you can use your hands to pull the sides apart without too much effort. Once the squash are cut in half scoop out the seeds and save for roasting later.

Drizzle a little butter/olive oil over the squash and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. I like to roast my squash by roasting in on an oven safe cooling rack like ones from Live-Nimble that are pictured above. Using a cooling rack to roast veggies means that the acorn gets more airflow in the oven. Basically you don’t have to worry about taking anything out of a hot oven while cooking to turn things over. Also, it helps the food not sit in any oil while cooking so it’s not greasy when it comes out. I’ve started to roast all my veggies this way and it’s been a real game changer!

This recipe makes enough for four squash bowls with extra sausage filling to serve on the side.

Hope you enjoy these as much as we did! It’s a great, healthy weeknight dinner that’s easy enough to throw together without too much effort.

Once you’re done eating your healthy dinner you can go ahead and treat yourself to some Christmas cookies to get you in the holiday spirit. That’s how diets work, right?

Recipe

Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

Yield: 6 servings Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

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Sausage, apple and rosemary stuffed acorn squash. Only 10 ingredients!

Ingredients

• 3 acorn squash
• 4 tbsp avocado oil or vegetable oil
• salt & pepper for seasoning
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 1 ½ cups celery ribs, diced
• ½ lb Italian Sausage - ensure gluten free
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped or 1 tsp dried
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 2 granny smith apples, cored and diced

Need help converting to weights? Check out my cups to grams Conversion Guide.

Instructions

1. Oven Prep: Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Place an oven-safe wire rack over a large, rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
2. Squash Prep: Cut the acorn squash in half by cutting from the stem to the tip. Cut the squash through the middle until you reach the stem and then use your hands to pull the squash apart. Scoop the seeds out in the middle and save for roasting or discard.
3. Season Squash: Place squash, cut-side up, on prepared baking sheet/wire rack. Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil over the squash. Use your fingers to rub the oil all over the surface. Sprinkle both sides of the squash with salt and pepper.
4. Roast: Roast in the oven on a middle or lower rack for about 45-60 minutes. When the edges are slightly caramelized and you can poke a knife through the squash easily it's done. While the squash roasts, start working on the filling.
5. Filling: Place a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the remaining 2 tbsp oil. When the oil is hot and simmering, add the onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes to soften. Add the celery and sauté another 3-4 minutes then add the sausage and rosemary. Use a wooden spoon to break the sausage up into smaller pieces. Cook until no pink in the sausage remains. Mix in the nutmeg and diced apple. And cook another couple of minutes. Turn off the heat, but keep the filling warm until the squash is finished.
6. Once the acorn squash is soft and caramelized, pull them out of the oven and spoon the sausage mixture into the hollowed centers. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

• Roast Time: Time will vary depending on how large your squash is - bigger squash will need closer to 60 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Yield: 6

Serving Size:

squash Calories: 347Saturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 305mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 5gSugar: 7gProtein: 7g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© A Saucy Kitchen, Sarah Nevins

Course: Mains Cuisine: American