Roasted Acorn Squash makes the perfect vessel for a rich stuffing made from sausage, wild rice, Praline Roasted pecans, apples, dried cranberries and fresh herbs.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooke Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 small acorn squash, washed and dried
- 1/2 pound Italian sausage
- 1/4 cup onion, minced
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
- 1 cup cooked wild rice blend
- 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 3 fresh sage leaves, sliced into ribbons
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
- 1/2 cup Praline Roasted pecans
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1 firm apple, chopped
- 1/2 cup grade Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut squash in half, remove and discard seeds and stringy flesh from squash.
- Drizzle cavity of squash with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Place squash cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil and roast for 30-45 minutes or until the flesh is fork tender.
- Brown sausage in large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once fat begins to render off sausage, add onion and celery; saute until sausage is browned and cooked through. Drain off excess fat if desired then return pan to heat.
- Stir in rice and saute for 30 seconds to a minute.
- Optional – add white wine and simmer until wine has mostly evaporated.
- Stir in stock, salt, pepper, sage, thyme leaves, Praline Roasted pecans and cranberries; bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat, stir in apple and 1/4 cup cheese.
- Stuff filling into roasted squash and sprinkle with remaining cheese on top.
- Return to oven for 10-15 minutes to warm everything together.
Notes
- If using wine, recommend Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling.
- Vegan version – omit sausage.
- Paleo version – use 2 pounds of sausage and omit rice and cranberries
- Store leftovers up to 3 days in refrigerator.
- Recipe can be prepared in advance and frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat – remove from freezer and bake, covered, at 350 degrees for one hour or until warmed through.
- Microwave Instructions – place prepped acorn squash halves upside down on parchment paper in microwave and cook on high heat for 10-15 minutes until flesh is fork tender.