Stuffed acorn squash is a great way to appreciate the abundance of fall. This complete meal is stuffed with Italian sausage, kale and sweet apples.
Is this recipe healthy?
Like other winter squash, acorn squash is a great choice for a healthy meal. It is a low calorie vegetable that is very filling by itself or with other ingredients. When you eat acorn squash you will be getting a serving of all of the following:
- Folate
- Vitamin C
- Calcium
- Fiber
This recipe is also Whole30, paleo and gluten-free. It’s low in sugar too since I used sugar-free dried cranberries and I also used nitrate-free sausage. A good company that I like to recommend is ButcherBox. They delivery at your door meat, chicken, pork, bacon and sausages all certified humane and free from added antibiotics and hormones.
I love using acorn squash when they’re in season because they’re so tasty, like my Taco Stuffed Acorn Squash, Sausage and Kale Stuffed Acorn Squash, and Easy Roasted Acorn Squash Recipe. Squash is my go-to vegetable in the fall as they’re so many to choose from and they’re so versatile like this Roasted Butternut Squash Mash.
How do you prepare acorn squash?
During the fall, acorn squash is abundant and affordable. Plan for each person to eat half of an acorn squash.
To prepare your acorn squash:
- Select squashes that are a dark green color with no blemishes. Find ones that are heavy for their size.
- Cut the squash in half. Because of the ribbed texture of the squash, it is easier to place it on a towel to cut. Use a sharp knife and start between one of the ridges.
- Cut out the stem.
- Scoop out the pulp and seeds. The seeds can be roasted like pumpkin seeds.
- Pour olive oil on the flesh of the squash then season with salt and pepper.
- Place the squash skin side up on a greased baking sheet and roast for 50-60 minutes.
Now you have a bowl of sweet mild squash ready to fill with your favorite ingredients.
Can you eat acorn squash skin?
After roasting the acorn squash, the skin becomes soft enough to eat. It will come apart on your fork with the rest of the ingredients.
However, if you prefer not to eat it, you will be able to easily separate the skin from the flesh while eating the squash.
What goes with squash?
Squash pairs well with meats that are flavorful. In this dish, we use Italian sausage. Adding acorn squash to chicken or pork is also a great choice because the meat is slightly sweet but still tender and juicy. Grilled meat also tastes great with acorn squash .
In this stuffed acorn squash, I added other sweet ingredients like the apple slices and the cranberries. These complex flavor combinations are so satisfying.
By using the sausage and vegetables, this recipe is easily adaptable for any diet plan such as paleo or Whole30. As opposed to recipes that use bread for stuffing, this one is still filling but much healthier.
Other healthy ingredients you can add to your stuffed acorn squash are:
- Goat cheese
- Pumpkin seeds
- Pepitas
More Acorn Squash to Try:
Want more seasonal recipes? Try these 40 Easy Fall Dinner Recipes!
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Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 2 small acorn squash cut in half and set seeds aside
- 1 tbsp olive oil plus sea salt and black pepper, for roasting
- 1 tbsp olive oil for cooking the sausage
- ½ lb Italian sausage sugar and nitrate free for Whole30
- 1 cup red onion chopped
- 1 cup green bell pepper chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 medium apple diced I used Honey Crispy apple.
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves chopped
- 1 cup kale chopped
- ¼ cup dried cranberries fruit-sweetened for Whole30
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- fresh parsley for garnish if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Pour olive oil over the acorn squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake in over for 50-60 minutes, until skin is soft and fork-tender (Roasting time will vary depending on the size of your squash).
- While squash roasts, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add sausage and using a wood spoon break into coarse pieces. Cook until brown. It’s about 5-6 minutes. Then, set it aside, but leaving fat in the skillet.
- In the same skillet, add onions and green bell pepper; cook until they’re soft, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add diced apple, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 1 minute and add chopped kale and cranberry. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Bring back the sausage and stir well to combine and cook just for 1-2 minutes to blend flavours.
- Preheat your broiler and divide apple-sausage filling among squashes.
- Once filled, place the baking sheet under the broiler and broil until for 5 minutes or so. Garnish with fresh minced parsley and enjoy!
Tips
- If you are having trouble halving the acorn squash, you can microwave the squash for a bit to help soften it.
- You can save the seeds from the acorn squash to roast them like pumpkin seeds.
- You can choose to eat the skin on the squash or not after you roast it.
- To store: Place leftover stuffed acorn squash in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: You can reheat everything in a microwave or in the oven.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
sandhya says
My heart is melting. I am try the recipe in my weeekends.
Olivia says
I’m sure you’ll like it a lot 😉
Carol says
what would be a good substitute for the kale?
Olivia says
Spinach and Green collard.
dianne roy says
that looks amazing. If you were using fresh cranberries how much would you use?
Olivia says
I probably would use 1/2 cup. But you can use more if you prefer.
Maria says
Can I use an equal amount of ground turkey in place of the sausage??
Olivia says
Yes you absolutely can 😉
Kristyn karen Helander says
1/4 of the recipe? Does this mean one half of the 2 squash used in the recipe?
Olivia says
Yes it’s one half of the 2 squash used in the recipe.
Elaina says
This recipe was delicious. Perfect sweet & savory combo. I plan to make it again and again!
Olivia says
Happy you liked it.
Jovan says
Amazing!! What perfect fall favors! To save time, I chose not to stuff the squash but instead cut the squash in rings to cook them faster. I also used ground chicken to make it a bit lighter. It turned out wonderfully. I love the sweet bits of apple and cranberries combined with the savory sausage. Delicious!
Olivia says
So happy you liked this recipe. It’s one of my fave fall recipes too!