Stuffed Acorn Squash

This sausage stuffed acorn squash recipe with apple is beyond delicious! Packed with fall flavor, it's filling enough to be a main dish but also works beautifully as a Thanksgiving side.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 522kcal

Author John Kanell

Equipment

Large baking sheet
Foil
Large skillet

Ingredients

For the Squash:

2 small acorn squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 teaspoons ground black pepper

For the Filling:

½ pound ground Italian sausage (225g)
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ medium onion chopped
4 ounces baby Bella mushrooms chopped (113g)
½ medium honey crisp apple peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup shredded cheese* plus more for sprinkling (113g)

Instructions

For the Squash:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Using a large, sharp knife, carefully cut the squash in half through the stem end and scoop out the seeds and any stringy bits.
Brush the squash with the olive oil mixture and place them cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
Roast for 30 minutes or until the squash is tender and starting to brown on the bottom.

For the Filling:

While the squash is roasting, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until fully cooked and browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pan using a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pan.
Add the olive oil, onion, mushrooms, apple, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion and apple are very tender and almost all of the moisture has evaporated, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir the sausage mixture back into the skillet, then stir in the cheese.

For the Assembly:

When the squash are tender, remove them from the oven and flip over on the baking sheet using tongs.
Divide the filling evenly among each squash half, mounding it in the cavity. Sprinkle with additional cheese.
Bake for 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown. (Bake time will depend on the type of cheese). Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

No need to peel the squash. Because the skin on acorn squash is so thin and bakes up tender, you don’t need to peel them before roasting. In a pinch, you can substitute the acorn squash for spaghetti squash. The initial bake time may increase a bit until the squash is tender.
Scoop out all the stringy bits. No one likes stringy squash! Make sure you scoop out all the seeds and stringy bits from the center of the squash halves.
Get creative with the filling. If you want to up the ante on the fall flavor in this dish, add a handful of dried cranberries and chopped pecans to the filling. A little grated nutmeg and allspice also add a cozy, spiced flavor.
You can use your favorite cheese in this recipe! Parmesan cheese, gruyere, smoked gouda, cheddar, feta, and goat cheese are all delicious options. If you are using cheese that needs to be shredded, do so at home instead of buying the pre-shredded kind. Pre-shredded cheese has additives to prevent clumping, which stops it from being decadently melty when baked.
Vegetarian option. For vegetarian stuffed acorn squash, omit the sausage. To bulk up the filling, you can add more mushrooms (perhaps a heftier kind like Portobello), drained and rinsed canned chickpeas or white beans, or your favorite cooked grain. Wild rice, quinoa, and farro would work very well!

Nutrition