This Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash is the absolute perfect Fall recipe! Tender roasted acorn squash stuffed with flavorful sausage, tender apples and caramelized onions! Top it with parmesan cheese and you’re all set!
This recipe was originally published in October 2018 – I’ve since updated the photos and added additional content to the blog post. Enjoy!
You guys, I have been overly obsessed with squash this season. I’ve really been trying to eat food seasonally this year and so far, squash this Fall has been the way to go.
I know that some people love pumpkin or apples and those are two awesome fruits. But when it comes to veggies, I am just seriously loving squash.
From butternut squash in my Thai Peanut Butternut Squash Bowl to my Fluffy Zucchini Pancakes to this Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash! I’m obsessed.
Why You’ll Love this Dish:
One thing I love about this recipe is that they look SO fancy but they literally are so easy to make.
I know these would look beautiful on a Thanksgiving tablescape. As an appetizer or a side dish or hey, if you’re not feeling like cooking a big ol’ bird for the holiday, you can have these as dinner! Literally amazing.
I love the caramelized onions paired with the apple and sausage. Such a balance of sweet, savory and slightly spicy! And when it’s stuffed inside the tender squash, it’s out of this world good!
The acorn squash has an incredibly soft, tender and nutty flavor. It pairs perfectly with the spicy sausage and the slight crunch of the sweet apple.
Oh, and how can you forget about the crispy parmesan and breadcrumbs on top?! These add an amazing texture to the overall dish!
One of my favorite parts about this recipe? The squash basically acts as a bowl! Lol! Easy clean up for the win!
So let’s get into what you will need for this dish – spoiler: it’s filled with extremely simple, yet flavorful ingredients.
Ingredients You Need:
- Acorn squash
- Gala apple (I used gala but you can use honeycrisp or any other “sweet” apple)
- Yellow onion
- Fresh garlic
- Ground sausage, I prefer to use spicy but use mild if you’d like!
- Breadcrumbs
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt to taste
That’s it! Super minimal. Super easy. Extra delicious.
How to make Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash:
Okay, so first you need to cut your acorn squash. Cut as LITTLE as possible off of each end. Then, slice it directly in half.
You should have two acorn squash “boats” after that. Scoop out all of those seeds and roast it with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper for about 30 minutes or so.
While it’s roasting, start cooking your filling! Fry up your ground sausage. Once it’s done, put it on a plate and set it aside. Leave the sausage grease in the skillet! That’s where so much of the flavor lies!
Add in your onion and coat the onion in the grease. Saute for a few minutes until your house smells delicious and then add in your apple and garlic!
Saute those as well for a few minutes until all of the flavors are combined and then, add in your breadcrumbs!
Y’alllll. Adding in those breadcrumbs is a game changer.
They get toasty and delicious and just out of this world good. Oh, and if adding in those toasty breadcrumbs isn’t enough, let’s add in just a littttle bit of parmesan cheese. The freshly shredded kind because it’s so good.
Mix all of these ingredients to combine them and let them all just kind of sit together so the flavors can mesh up together.
Once your acorn squash is fork tender – get it out of the oven and then begin filling it.
I overstuffed mine because helllooo – the filling is just SO DANG GOOD. You may end up having a little bit of leftover stuffing but no worries – you can always eat it as leftovers or just eat it by the spoonful out of the skillet like I did 😉
Once you stuff your squash, sprinkle on some more parmesan cheese and bake for 15-20 more minutes. You want to make sure that the acorn squash retains its shape and doesn’t get mushy.
And that’s it! You’re all done. Pretty easy, huh? I love love love this recipe. It’s so flavorful from the slightly spicy sausage to the sweet and tender apple and of course the toasty cheesy breadcrumbs. All stuffed in the most tender, deliciously nutty and sweet acorn squash.
You need this in your life. Trust me!
If you enjoyed this recipe, here are a few others you may like:
Golden Delicata Squash Soup with Crispy Chickpeas
Butternut Squash Mashed Potatoes
Thank you so much for following along here, friends! Want to see more? Be sure to follow ourbalancedbowl on Instagram and tag me with your photo if you end up making a recipe! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Our Balanced Bowl Facebook page! Like a recipe that you saw? Follow me on Pinterest here! I always love to see your re-creations! If you do make a recipe, it would make my whole day if you were to rate and comment so I can get your feedback! Lots of love! – Haylie
Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash
This Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash is the absolute perfect Fall recipe! Tender roasted acorn squash stuffed with flavorful sausage, tender apples and caramelized onions! Top it with parmesan cheese and you're all set!
Ingredients
- 1 large acorn squash
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 gala or honeycrisp apple, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 lb ground pork sausage (mild or spicy)
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided
- dash olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice as little off as possible of the ends of the acorn squash. Then, cut in half, making two acorn squash "boats". Scoop out the seeds. Place on a baking sheet with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes.
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Cook sausage in large skillet until done. Transfer to plate but leave the grease in the skillet. Add in your diced onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Add in your apples and garlic next and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add in your panko breadcrumbs as well as 1/4 cup of your shredded parmesan cheese. Toss all together to combine and let cook for 2-3 minutes. Add back in your sausage and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
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Once your acorn squash is done roasting and is fork tender, take it out of the oven. Stuff it to the brim with the filling. Top with the remaining parmesan cheese and place it back in the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until cheese has melted and is golden.
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Eat while hot!
Recipe Notes
Note: Depending on the size of your acorn squash, you could have additional filling leftover. If so, just eat as leftovers or add to your squash to let it overflow a little. I promise, you won't be able to get enough of this filling!