Squash truly shines this time of year, when colder months have us craving yummy comfort food. Enter our ultimate stuffed acorn squash recipe, sure to become a legend in your household. Savory sausage, sweet apples, mild spinach, and fresh herbs combine for the most delicious stuffed acorn squash you'll ever try. Read on for our classic recipe, plus some tips to customize it to your tastes, and some suggested food pairings.
Begin by preheating oven to 400 degrees and lining baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, cut squashes in half length wise. Scoop out seeds and discard them.
Heat 2 tablespoons avocado oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Once it's warm, add diced onion and cook for 4-5 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and cook for one minute until fragrant. Add pork sausage to skillet.
Place acorn squash onto lined baking sheet and brush remaining avocado oil onto squash with basting brush. Roast for 25 minutes in oven.
Back on the stovetop, break up ground sausage using spatula. Cook for about 6 minutes or until sausage is browned. Then add diced apple, 1 tablespoon of rosemary, 1 tablespoon of thyme, and salt and pepper. Cook while stirring occasionally, about three to four minutes.
To the same skillet, add spinach and cook for a couple minutes until wilted. Mix in cooked quinoa and turn off heat.
Carefully remove squash from oven, then fill with stuffing mixture. Broil for 5 minutes until top gets a bit crispy but not burnt.
Remove squash from under broiler and garnish with remaining fresh rosemary and thyme. Let rest for about five minutes to cool, then enjoy!
If spinach is unavailable, substitute any one cup of your favorite greens like swiss chard, baby kale, or arugula.
Now that we've mastered this version of stuffed squash, let's discuss some easy tweaks to really express your culinary creativity.
This stuffed squash is hearty enough to enjoy alone for a meal, but if you'd like to add a little something, we have some ideas.
Overall, we hope you've enjoyed our delicious stuffed acorn squash recipe, plus tips for changing it up and foods with which to serve it. We know this will become a family-favorite recipe!