SAUSAGE AND APPLE STUFFED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Stuffed butternut squash is the perfect HEALTHY fall dish, packed with flavor-packed sausage, chopped apples, celery, walnuts, cranberries, and fresh herbs like rosemary and sage. The stuffing is placed in the roasted half of the pumpkin, which is very tasty and nutritious. Gluten + Dairy Free!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 whole pumpkins – 2-2.5 pounds each
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground sausage
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped sage
- 1 tablespoon chicken stock or white wine – to shine the pan if needed
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1 small apple chopped
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare and fry the squash. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and discard. Drizzle the squash with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the squash cut-side up on a baking sheet and bake for 40-4 minutes, until a coarse knife can easily be inserted into the center of the squash. Take it out and let it cool.
- Make the sausage and apple filling. Heat a pan to medium-high heat, add some olive oil to the pan, then add the sausages and break up with a spoon or spatula while they cook. When the meat is no longer pink, add the onion, celery, and garlic. Stir and cook for a few minutes, then add the fresh herbs, spinach and, if necessary, the broth to brighten the bottom of the pan. Cook until the spinach wilts. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chopped apples, cranberries and walnuts and toss it all together.
- Fill the squash. Remove the flesh of the shell, leaving 1/2-3/4 inch from the edge of the shell and about 2.5 inches from the bottom. You can use the extra squash for soup or pumpkin puree. Divide the sausage and apple filling evenly in half of the zucchini. Sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese, if desired. Put the zucchini back in the oven and roast the top for about 10 minutes.
- Hard. Remove, let cool and serve hot.
NOTES
Choose a pumpkin that is more evenly sized all over, as opposed to one with a longer knuckle on it. This will allow it to have more space to fill. The best size for this recipe is 2-2.5 pounds of zucchini.
Fry the zucchini until a sharp knife can be easily inserted into the center of the squash. This usually takes 35-45 minutes for a medium sized zucchini.
Cut vegetables and apples into small pieces so they cook quickly and fit easily when stuffing the squash.
Let the zucchini cool for 5 minutes before removing the middle. Use extra zucchini for pumpkin puree soup.
You can make the stuffing ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Store this stuffed zucchini in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Easily reheat a baking sheet in the microwave or oven.
