Stuffed Acorn Squash

With the temperatures starting to cool down (hello snow on Halloween!), I have been looking for more comfort meals to make for dinner.  One of my favorite vegetables to cook in the fall is squash.  You may remember the recipe for Butternut Squash Soup I shared a few weeks ago, but today is all about the acorn squash!  I first came across this recipe for stuffed acorn squash a few years ago and I always come back to it each time fall and winter rolls around.

This recipe is hearty and filling and incorporates the perfect fall flavors between the apples and squash.  You should definitely add this to your meal planner for next week!

Stuffed Acorn Squash

recipe adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

Ingredients:

• 1 acorn squash
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• 2 sausage links (I used Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage from Trader Joe’s)
• 1 small apple, peeled and chopped into 1/4 in cubes (I used a granny smith)
• 1 c vegetable broth
• 1/2 5 oz box of stuffing (I used gluten free mix from Trader Joe’s which is a bigger box – I also like Stove Top Cornbread stuffing)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds.
2. Lay squash halves on a baking sheet, skin side down, then brush with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the thickest part of the squash goes in easily.
3. Meanwhile, cut sausage into 1/4 in pieces (the kind I used is pre-cooked) and sauté with apples in skillet until heated through and apples are soft.
4. In a separate saucepan, bring 3/4 cup vegetable broth to a boil.  Pour in half the box of stuffing, stir, then place a lid on top and turn the heat off.  Allow the pan to sit for 5 minutes, then fluff stuffing with a fork.
5. Combine stuffing with sausage and apple mixture then mound onto cooked acorn squash halves. Place under the broiler until stuffing is golden brown on top.

Enjoy!

Linking up with Jenn, Kate, Emily, Alesha, Mary, Lena, Leslie, Melissa, and Jenna.