Baked Stuffed Acorn Squash

An acorn squash half stuffed with meat, dried cranberries, and walnuts.
This content originally appeared on 
tasteforlife.com

Prep Time

90 min prep time

Yield

serves 4

Ingredients

  • 2 acorn squash
  • 1 Tbsp unsalted  butter, melted
  • 1⁄4 tsp salt
  • 1⁄8 tsp black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb turkey or chicken sausage links (casings removed)
  • 1 leek, chopped (white and light green parts only)
  • 2 apples, cored and chopped
  • 1⁄4 tsp dried sage
  • 1⁄4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1⁄4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup, optional

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°.
  2. Cut each squash in half crosswise and remove seeds with a spoon. Cut a thin slice off bottom of each squash half. (This helps it stand upright during cooking.) Brush insides of squash halves with melted butter. Sprinkle salt and pepper over. Place squash halves cut-side down in a large roasting pan. Bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour, depending on size of squash halves, until tender when pierced with a fork. Reduce oven temperature to 375°.
  3. Heat oil in a large pan set over medium heat. Add sausage and sauté for 5 minutes, breaking it up into small pieces with a large spoon. Add leek, apples, and sage and sauté for another 7 to 10 minutes, until apples are tender. Stir in cranberries, walnuts, and maple syrup, if using. 
  4. When squash is tender, turn halves upright in roasting pan. Evenly stuff each half with sausage mixture. 
  5. Bake, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes, until filling is slightly browned.

Nutrition Info

540 Calories, 21 g Protein, 52 g Carbohydrates, 7 g Fiber, 30 g Total fat (7 g sat), 871 mg Sodium, ★★★★★ Vitamin B6, ★★★★ Vitamin B3 (niacin), Phosphorus, ★★★ Vitamin B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), C, ★★ Vitamin B12, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, ★ Vitamin K, Calcium, Folate,