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–+ servings
four roasted acorn squash halves stuffed with sausage and rice filling
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5 from 20 votes

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Stuffed Acorn Squash fills tender roasted acorn squash with sausage, apple, wild rice, and tons of vegetables. Perfect as a side dish or main course!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Krissy Allori

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 acorn squashes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 3 large sage leaves sliced into thin ribbons
  • 2 medium carrots peeled with ends removed
  • 2 medium celery stalks
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 1/2 cup white wine dry
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice
  • 1 bunch kale stems removed, diced (about 2 cups packed)
  • 1 small honeycrisp apple peeled, cored, diced (or half of one large apple)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Slice 2 acorn squashes in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Rub the flesh with 1 tablespoon olive oil and place squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until slightly tender, about 30 minutes.
    roasted acorn squash halves
  • Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown 1 pound ground pork with 3 large sage leaves.
  • Pulse 2 medium carrots, 2 medium celery stalks, 1 small yellow onion, and 1 large clove garlic in food processor until you have an even dice (or you can do this by hand). I prefer my veggies to be as small as the rice, so I just use the food processor. Add to the pork while its cooking. Stir to combine and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender and the pork is brown and crumbly.
  • Add 1/2 cup white wine to hot pan and scrape the bottom to deglaze. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes until wine reduces. Remove from heat.
    pouring white wine into sausage and rice mixture
  • Stir in 1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice, 1 bunch kale, 1 small honeycrisp apple, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Taste mixture and add more salt as desired. Don't worry - the kale is a bit overpowering raw but once cooked it blends in perfectly.
  • Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and mound into acorn squash cavities. Use hands or back of large spoon to make a compact mound.
    sausage and rice Stuffed Acorn Squash before they get baked in oven
  • Place stuffed squashes in the 400 degree F oven and cook for another 20-30 minutes until the tops have browned and the squash is fork tender.
  • Serve as a side dish or alone as a meal.

Notes

  • Squash - Medium to large acorn squash is recommended, but you can use other varieties of winter squash.
  • Kale - I prefer dark Italian kale for this recipe, but you can substitute with other varieties. I tend to remove the stem, but that is a matter of preference.
  • Prep work - I highly recommend chopping the vegetables and the apple in the food processor. This recipe works best when all of the ingredients are diced small.
  • Make ahead directions - To make this sausage stuffed acorn squash ahead of time, follow the instructions up to the point where they are stuffed. Then, cover and refrigerate. To finish baking, remove from refrigerator and bake in preheated oven for at least 30 minutes so that they are fully heated through.

Nutrition

Calories: 567kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 705mg | Potassium: 1540mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 9290IU | Vitamin C: 69.5mg | Calcium: 176mg | Iron: 3.8mg