Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

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I love growing acorn squash, but they don’t last long in my cellar. This hearty sausage stuffed acorn squash recipe is the perfect way to use them up!

Recipe Notes:

• The seasonings listed in the recipe are to create an Italian-style ground sausage with plain sausage. You can substitute pre-seasoned Italian sausage
• Don’t have one of the seasonings? Don’t let that keep you from making this dish. It will still turn out just fine.
• To make this dairy free you could substitute coconut cream or plain non-dairy yogurt for the sour cream. Also, omit cheese and add nutritional yeast to taste, or substitute a non-dairy cheese.

Yields: 8 servings

Prep time: 30 min.+ 6 hrs. in slow cooker

Last minutes prep and cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Prep bin:

• 4 acorn squash
• 1 medium onion
• 2 tsp dried parsley + 2 tsp paprika + 1 tsp salt + 1 tsp dried oregano + 1 tsp ground fennel + 1 tsp. garlic powder + 1/2 tsp dried ground rosemary + 1/4 tsp. black pepper + 1/4 tsp. dried thyme

Defrost:

• 2 lbs. ground sausage

Pull out same day:

• 2 cups chopped celery
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup grated parmesan

Prep Directions:

1. Wash your acorn squash and see if all will fit in your slow cooker whole. If they do, poke a few holes into each side of the squash and return them to the slow cooker. If they do not, slice in half and scoop out the seeds. Then, place them in, skin side up.
2. Pour 1/2 cup water into the bottom of the slow cooker. Add a lid and turn setting to “low”. They will take 5-6 hours to cook. If you need to speed up the process, set to “high” for 3 hours. If using a roaster pan, add 1 cup of water and set to 200 F.
3. Dice the onion and chop the celery. Set aside.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the sausage until well browned and cooked through. Drain and discard grease.
5. Add the celery, onion, and seasonings. Cook and stir until celery and onion are softened. Remove from heat.
6. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the sour cream and Parmesan cheese. Add the sausage mixture and stir until well combined. Cover and refrigerate the mixture.
7. Grease or line a baking pan and set aside.

45 minutes before you plan to serve dinner…

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Make sure the squash are fork tender. If you need to finish cooking them quickly, place them on the baking sheet and put them into the oven until done.
3. Place the squash onto the baking sheet with the flesh side facing up.
4. Stuff the squash with the sausage mixture.
5. Bake until heated through, about 20 – 25 minutes.