Stuffed Acorn Squash

I love a multitude of foods. Delicious, quality stuffing is somewhere near the top of the "Foods I Love" list.
I also love roasting a bird, but I don't always have the time, patience, and/or crowd to eat stuffed poultry.

When I got home tonight, I was craving stuffing. Being home alone, I started to think "What can I stuff that won't leave me with a whole bird minus a leg?"

Then I remembered the acorn squashes on the counter. I thought "Yes, those are stuffable."


The stuffing itself is versatile. You can use turkey sausage, veggie sausage, tofu, or no protein at all. To create a gluten-free meal, leave out the croutons.

Serves 4**

You will need:

2 medium - large acorn squashes, halved and gutted
1/2 small onion diced (a little less than 1/4 cup)
1 celery rib, diced
1/2 small granny smith apple, peeled and diced
a handful of dried cranberries
1/2 cup sausage (I used Jimmy Dean Sage)
handful of croutons (a little less than 1/4 cup), cut in half if they are large
salt, pepper, and sage (if you do not use sage sausage)
2 tsp maple syrup divided in half


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast squash, cut side up, for 45 minutes. (I find a loaf pan works well for holding both halves.)

While those bake:
Saute the onions, celery, and sausage over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 tsp sage. Once the sausage is cooked, add the apples, cranberries, and croutons. Mix well. If stuffing is dry (will depend on the meat you used and how much croutons you put in) add chicken broth or vegetable broth by the Tablespoonful. You can also add a small amount of butter to add moisture.
Season stuffing with salt and pepper to taste.

Once the squash has roasted for 45 minutes, remove from oven, fill halves with stuffing (stuffing will be mounded on top), drizzle maple syrup over the top, and continue to bake for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

*Stuffing can be made beforehand and frozen. You could also use leftover stuffing if that exists in your home. Stuffing tends to be eaten the first time around in these parts...
This would also be great with some toasted sliced almonds, which can be quickly toasted in the pan before browning the onions, and would make a great vegetarian protein option or crunchy add-in.

**I edited this to include 2 acorn squashes after trying to stuff my own halves and finding I had an abundance of stuffing left over. I dumped all the extra stuffing into the pan to bake, but it could have easily fit into 2 squash.