Stuffed Acorn Squash
Hank, the brown Labrador retriever, loves to sleep wherever I happen to be standing. This includes under the open dishwasher, on the rug in front of the sink, usually in front of the cabinet I need to open and his most favorite spot; directly under the stove. Currently, he’s fast asleep on my right foot, lying under the dining table as I attempt to write this note.
His nose, is that of any typical lab, and by that I mean he can smell a potato chip from a mile away and if something is cooking in the kitchen, then he is absolutely going to be ready and available for all taste testing that may or may not come his way. I should mention, it usually does NOT come his way, yet he is undeterred. One of these days, a big old plate of something delicious is going to drop right in front of him, he’s sure of it.
After a long weekend of a bustling house full of guests and many many meals made which obviously includedThanksgiving but then all those other meals that the family still wanted to eat the rest of the weekend, the kitchen was working overtime in production hours. As we finally rounded the corner on Sunday evening, I was feeling quite uninspired when it came to thinking up a meal, much less putting the effort into cooking it.
But, we’ve started a little tradition around our house called Feast Night. It's very simple, on Sunday nights we eat a great meal together. The only rules to Feast Night is that it's a meal everyone enjoys and also, there has to be dessert. We actually set the table and after we eat, the kids help with dishes so we can have dessert. We talk a little longer and linger at the table a few extra minutes. Sometimes its the only night of the week we get a proper meal together.
After a few minutes of rifling through leftovers and odds and ends forgotten in the back of the fridge, this simple but satisfying recipe came to life. Stuffed acorn squash is all the goodness of wintery flavors in one easy meal. Savory Italian sausage, a little rice, sweet apple, crunchy celery and the bite of onion come together for a ‘stuffing’ of sorts. The tender acorn squash is the perfect vehicle for all that filling, and together it makes for a lovely, comforting, wintery meal.
Use this recipe simply as a guide for your own recipe. Delicata squash could be used in place of acorn squash if you would prefer one over the other. Pork Italian sausage could be swapped for chicken or turkey Italian sausage or swapped for cooked rotisserie chicken breast. The apples and craisins are a lovely pairing with the savory sausage and onion and the fresh herbs bring a refreshing lightness to the meal. Parmesan cheese could be swapped for feta cheese or shredded sharp cheddar and a handful of chopped roasted almonds might be a nice addition as well. All that to say, this recipe is open to interpretation and lots of variations on it will still make for a wonderful dinner.
Hank, the lab, always at the ready for a dropped morsel or forgotten crumb, happily licked plates clean as they were loaded into the dishwasher (I know, I know, gross habit) so I can happily report everyone in the house loved Sunday Feast night.
Stuffed Acorn Squash
3 acorn squash washed, cut in half, seeds scooped out
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
1 pound pork Italian sausage
1 1/4 cups cooked white rice
1 medium yellow onion diced
3 stalks celery diced
1 medium Honeycrisp apple diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1/3 - 1/2 cup craisins
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley minced
2 tablespoons chives minced
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Trim stem off acorn squash before slicing in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Drizzle the squash with a tablespoon of olive oil, using clean hands, to gently massage the oil into the inside of the squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Turn the squash flesh side down on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and carefully flip the squash over. The vegetable should be slightly golden brown in places and the flesh is easily pierced with a fork. Set aside to cool slightly and turn oven down to 350 degrees.
While the squash is cooking, brown Italian sausage in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break the meat up into small crumbles. When the meat is cooked through and no pink remains, about 8 to 9 minutes, turn the heat off to the pan and transfer the Italian sausage to a paper-towel lined plate. Set aside.
Return the pan to the stove, adding the remaining tablespoon of olive oil along with the diced onions, apple and celery. Cook the mixture on medium-low heat, scraping up any little brown bits, sprinkling with kosher salt and black pepper, stirring often until the onions are translucent and fragrant, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Turn the heat to a simmer and add the sausage, cooked rice* and craisins to the pan. Stir to combine. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the fresh parsley and chives along with the parmesan cheese to the pan, giving one last stir to combine. Turn the heat off to the pan.
Scoop the sausage mixture into the acorn squash. Each half will hold a little over a cup of filling. The squash should have a mounded scoop of filling. Bake in the 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove the stuffed squash from the oven and garnish with a little leftover minced parsley and small sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
To serve, place a half acorn squash on individual plates. Serve alongside a simple green salad.
Recipe makes 6 halves.
*For ease, I typically use a bag of frozen rice for this recipe. I microwave the rice so its cooked and ready to be added to the recipe. Another quick tip is to make an extra batch of rice earlier in the week or the day before so you have extras to use for this recipe.