Unstuffed Acorn Squash
This recipe for unstuffed acorn squash started as something completely different. I started with a recipe for stuffed acorn squash, but because I am terrible at handling knives, it quickly turned into cubed acorn squash that I mixed with the stuffing.
Don’t you hate it when you think you’ve got a spice or other important ingredient on hand and when you open your cupboard, it’s nowhere to be found? That’s how I felt today when I reached for the rosemary. I know we had some. We always have rosemary. Just not today apparently. Well, there was a quick fix for that. I substituted sage instead. I couldn’t find the thyme either, so I used basil instead.
Despite being out of thyme, I still managed to complete this recipe with basil left to spare. (That’s a terrible pun. Can you do better?) 
Moving along, this recipe actually turned out better than I expected. Of course, the apples and acorn squash came from Strites’. The variety of apples I used is Winesap because they are just a little tart and perfect for both cooking and eating. I left the peels on, but feel free to peel them if desired.
I used chicken sausage from First Fresh because it is sold at Karn’s, a family owned grocery store here in Central PA, and also because First Fresh has followed me on Instagram since I first started mine. They only carried sausage links, but the casing was extremely easy to remove and I was able to chop up the links with ease.
I never had chicken sausage before and I am impressed with it. It’s moist and tender and combined with the apples and acorn squash, it is delicious! I think you’ll really like the addition of Parmesan cheese and Italian breadcrumbs as well.
Unstuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 1 acorn squash peeled and chopped
- 12 oz chicken sausage
- 1 apple chopped
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp sage
- 1 tsp basil
- 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup Parmesan
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Place the acorn squash on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake 25 minutes.
- Heat the remaining oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion, sage, and basil. Stir in the garlic and sausage and cook until sausage is slightly browned.
- Add the apple and cook until it is soft.
- In a baking dish, add the acorn squash and sausage mixture.
- Stir in the breadcrumbs and cheese. Top with additional cheese and bake 15 minutes.
My grandfather said I could make this recipe for him any time. After my parents tasted it, there were no leftovers!