Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe
One of our favorites things to do on the weekend is head to the farmer’s markets. Our usual market is the Worthington Farmer’s Market, but last weekend we decided to head to Lynd’s Market.
We couldn’t help but admire the beautiful squash that they had on display. My family LOVES all kinds of squash and I love that you can enjoy different varieties throughout the year. In the spring and summer, I love grilled zucchini and yellow squash. During the fall I love shredding spaghetti squash and serving with a meaty bolognese. And in the winter, there’s nothing that hits the spot like cubing and simmering winter squash in a spicy curry.
My little one pointed out the acorn squash and as she had never tried it, I was sold. We stuck it in our cart and decided we’d have it for dinner.
This type of squash is delicious roasted in the oven, and I love the bowl shape it makes when you cut it in half. I knew I’d make some sort of stuffed acorn squash but I wasn’t quite sure what to stuff it with. As luck would have it, I had a few odds and ends in my kitchen and when I threw it all together, I got a huge thumbs up from the family.
Fall Harvest Stuffed Acorn Squash Ingredients:
2 small Acorn squash (or 1 large), cut in half
1/4 tsp Kosher salt (use less if using plain table salt)
1/4 tsp Rubbed Sage
1/4 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1 tbl Olive oil
1/2lb sausage
1 cup cooked rice (I prefer long grain like Basmati)
1 small apple, peeled, cored, and cut in a small dice
1 small yellow onion, cut in a small dice
Optional: Parmesan cheese and basil for garnishing
Fall Harvest Stuffed Acorn Squash Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375. Cut squash in half and scoop out the gunk.
- In a small bowl, mix together salt, garlic powder, sage, thyme, and oil to form a paste.
- Brush seasoning paste on squash and place in the oven. Roast for 35-40 min until tender.
- While the squash is roasting, prepare the stuffing. Cook sausage until browned. Drain sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside. Remove all but 1 tsp of the drippings from the pan.
- Add in the diced onions and cook for 3-4 min until translucent. Add in the diced apples and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add the drained sausage back into the pan. Stir in the cooked rice and taste. Depending on how salty and seasoned your sausage is, you may need to add salt. My sausage was on the saltier side and the stuffing did not need any additional seasoning.
- Once the squash is tender, remove from the oven and top with rice mixture. You should have enough stuffing for 2 small squash or 1 large squash.
- I topped each squash half with a tsp of shredded parmesan cheese and bit of basil.
- Admire the beauty
- Dig in
This stuffed acorn squash dish has all the flavors of a fall harvest. The sweetness from the apples and the nuttiness from squash perfectly complements the flavorful sausage and onion. A super simple dish to throw together, and even the little one asked for seconds!
I meant to go to the farmer’s market in Clintonville this weekend cause I like less than a mile away but I always seem to have so much to do Saturday mornings! I must make sure I get there next weekend or venture out to Lynd’s and also get some apple picking done 🙂
I never thought I would say this about acorn squash, but this recipe looks amazing!
Haha thank you! My husband isn’t a huge fan of squash either, but he said he loved this. Even got seconds!
We don’t really have this type of squash in New Zealand, but when my daughter went on her exchange to Argentina she said this was a staple food for at least one meal every month. I don’t believe they ever stuffed it with rice, though.
Fascinating – Is squash popular in NZ? Are there other varieties that you have?
I will have to figure out a vegetarian version! Looks delish!
I bet it would be delicious stuffed with buttered wild rice, pecans, cranberries…!
We love squash too and with the zucchini season coming to an end I’m looking forward to butternut and pumpkin, always see smaller squash but never really known what to do with them before. I love pork and apple as a combination with those herbs. This is going to be made really soon in my house. Thanks for sharing
When we lived in Columbus, we used to go to Lynd’s every fall to go apple picking. 🙂 And these stuffed squash look delicious. Perfect for fall time!
I love to cook and am ashamed to admit that I have only cooked an acordn squash onee in my life. I have added this recipe to my collection and will try to make it this weekend. Looks heavenly and so delicous!
Thank you!
Love stuffed acorn squash and all these flavors!
I’m so excited it’s squash season again! This looks great!