I’m definitely a seasonal cook. I love cozy soups in the winter, spring vegetable casseroles starting in April, and hotdogs on the grill come summer. And you can bet your bottom dollar as soon as those leaves start changing colors I’m whipping up warm comfort foods. I love recipes full of seasonal fruits and veggies and delightful fall time seasonings, just like this healthy stuffed acorn squash.
I’m a little surprised at the amount of people who have never tried acorn squash. Sure, it’s a little goofier looking than it’s close popular relative the butternut squash, but it has really nice flavor and texture. Not to mention it has many nutritional benefits including high in fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium. And it’s full of antioxidants which helps your body fight of chronic health conditions.
This recipe is filled with good for you veggies, plus tasty Italian sausage, and fragrant rosemary and thyme. Naturally gluten and dairy free this recipe fits the bill for anyone with avoiding those two allergen groups. But total confession; have sprinkled some cheese on top to appease my husband and I didn’t hate it.
The hardest part is cutting the acorn squash in half. It’s a bit of a workout. Just find your largest, sharpest knife and be careful!
Then it’s just a little dicing, browning, stirring, and filling those cute little acorn squash up with delicious fall flavors.
So throw on your cozy flannel, turn on some football, and try this healthy stuffed acorn squash recipe. Full of vitamin rich veggies and comforting sweet and savory flavors this is sure to be an instant fave.
If you give it a try I’d love to know. Snap a pic and tag @movinglikeamother.
You can find more great fall time recipes below:
Healthy Zucchini, Corn, & Chicken Chowder
Healthy Cinnamon, Apple, Oat Muffins
Enjoy!
–Monica
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servings
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- 2 acorn squash halved length wise and seeds/string scooped out
- 1 lb sweet Italian sausage
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 medium apple cored and diced
- 2 stalks of celery diced
- 2 cups spinach roughly chopped
- 1 Tbsp dried thyme chopped
- 2 tsp rosemary chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients
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- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Place the 4 acorn squash halves (seeds removed) open-side down on the baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until the top of your squash feels tender when gently pressed. Set aside after removing from oven.
- While the squash roasts begin to make the filling. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the sausage and stir to break up lumps, about 5-8 minutes until just browned. Remove sausage and set aside. Drain or wipe out excess grease from pan.
- Reheat saucepan over medium low heat and add 1 Tbsp olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, then add onion and celery and cook until soft and translucent. Add the apples and herbs and continue to cook, stirring until the apples soften. Add the spinach and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the spinach wilts. Stir in cooked sausage.
- Reheat oven to 400 degrees. Fill all 4 halves of the squash with the stuffing mixture (you may have leftover depending on how big your squash was.
- Arrange the squash on the baking sheet, stuffing side up, and let roast in the oven for 20 min checking often to prevent burning. Once nice and browned, remove from oven, allow to cool a bit and then serve warm. Enjoy!