There is something intrinsically autumnal about roasted, stuffed squash. It’s cozy and comforting and nourishing all at once. There are about a million recipes floating around on the internet, but I’ll add this tasty rendition for good measure.
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 1 medium sized acorn squash
- 1 lb apple pork sausage (remove casings)
- 8 crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 pink lady apple, cored and finely chopped
- ½ a medium sized fennel bulb, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp dried poultry seasoning (or substitute fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme)
- 2-4 tbsp bacon or duck fat
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Optional:
- Diced onion
- Crushed garlic
- Celery stalk in place of fennel
- Chopped Swiss Chard or other greens
- Garnish with fresh parsley
Method
- With a sharp chef’s knife, cut the squash in half. Scoop out the seeds (you can discard them or save and roast them separately for a snack later).
- Coat the exposed flesh of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a glass baking dish and bake at 375℉ for 30 to 45 minutes, until the squash is soft and beginning to look a little bit toasty.
- While your squash is baking, chop and saute the vegetables, apple, and herbs in the bacon or duck fat over medium heat.
- In a second frying pan, cook the sausage over medium heat. Break it apart into small chunks, and cook until it starts to brown a little bit.
- Combine the sausage and vegetable mixture and set aside. (If you are sharing this meal with vegan or vegetarian eaters, use olive oil instead of animal fat to saute the vegetable mixture, and use chopped pecans in place of sausage for their portion).
- When the squash is ready, spoon the mixture into the hollow of the squash, and place under the broiler setting in your oven for a few moments so it gets a little bit extra crispy and caramelized on top.
- If you have extra filling (which is likely), you can set it aside and use it in a breakfast hash brown scramble sort of dish, or freeze it to use with a second squash on another night.
- Serve with a side of salad, pan fried asparagus, or roasted broccoli. Enjoy!