This sausage and apple stuffed acorn squash is the ultimate comfort food addition to the cold weather menu. It's buttery and colorful, loaded with spinach and so much herb flavor!
If you love sausage and squash combo, you might also like Sausage Stuffed Parmesan Spaghetti Squash.
Why this recipe works
- Festive and perfect for both Fall and Winter: Look at all these festive colors and flavors stuffed into a simple stuffed acorn squash! It's perfect for when you want to warm yourself up with a hearty and cozy meal.
- Easy: It's easy enough - you can roast the squash while cooking sausage, apples, spinach and caramelized onions, and use bulk Italian sausage as well as rosemary & dried thyme.
- Healthy and nutritious: This stuffed squash recipe has high quality protein, anti-inflammatory olive oil, and tons of nutrients from spinach, apple, squash and caramelized onions.
- Squash and spinach go together: This stuffed acorn squash recipe uses a hearty winter squash, that is so abundant in the stores during the winter months, but also available year around as far as the squashes go. And if you love spinach - yes, there is spinach here which brings a nice contrast to the sweetness of apples.
How to make stuffed acorn squash
1. Roast acorn squash halves: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and place the 4 acorn squash halves (seeds removed) open-side down on the baking sheet or skillet. Roast for about 20-30 minutes, or until the top of your squash feels tender when pierced with a fork. Set aside open side up after removing from oven to avoid over*steaming.
2. Caramelize Onions: Start caramelizing the onions in a medium skillet. Set heat to medium high, add 1 tablespoon butter and cook stirring until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add a little bit of water whenever onions start sticking to the pan too much. Remove onions onto a separate plate.
3. Cook sausage mixture: Add 1 tablespoon butter and minced garlic to the now empty skillet and cook until just tender, then add all the sausage and increase the heat to medium.
4. Add other fillings: the apples and herbs and continue to cook, stirring until the apples soften. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until the spinach wilts.
5. Salt and pepper the mixture, taste it and adjust seasoning.
6. Add the caramelized onions to the sausage mixture, leaving excess cooking fat in the pan.
Preheat your broiler and fill four halves of the squash with the stuffing mixture. Arrange the squash on the baking sheet, stuffing side up, and put under the broiler for 5 minutes until the tops get browned and crispy. Be careful not to over-burn. 5 minutes should be enough, but some broilers can be unpredictable.
Storage/making ahead
You can make it ahead, however it's very tasty stuffed squash if you make EVERYTHING the same day and is a real time saver as far as cooking goes!
- This acorn stuffed squash stores and heats up beautifully. I once made it while traveling, and even after 2 days in the fridge and 1 full day of travel - stuffed acorn squash was as tasty as before!
- Store it for up to 4 days in the fridge, but I do not recommend freezing it.
- This stuffed acorn squash recipe is also very flexible and can be made ahead entirely; or you can roast your squash a day ahead and stuff it on the day you are planning to eat it.
This is a seriously delicious Holiday season recipe and honestly the best stuffed squash recipe I've ever had (unless we're talking about Sausage Stuffed Parmesan Spaghetti Squash)! Great Thanksgiving side dish or any festivity filling appetizer
More delicious sausage recipes
- Mexican Chorizo and Potatoes
- Italian Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
- Creamy Tortellini with Sausage
- Easy Vodka Sauce and Sausage Pasta
- Creamy Cajun Chicken and Smoked Sausage Pasta
More delicious fall recipes:
- Grand Marnier Cranberry Sauce
- How to roast a turkey breast (boneless)
- Garlic Parmesan Sweet Potatoes
Sausage Stuffed Squash with Apples, Spinach and Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
- 2 small acorn squash cut in half lengthwise and seeds cleaned
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb pork sausage loose
- 1 apple cored and diced
- 2 cups fresh spinach chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Roasting squash halves: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and place the 4 acorn squash halves (seeds removed) open-side down on the baking sheet or skillet. Roast for about 20-30 minutes, or until the top of your squash feels tender when pierced with a fork. Set aside open side up after removing from oven to avoid over*steaming.
- Caramelizing Onions: Begin by caramelizing the onions in a medium skillet. Set heat to medium high, add 1 tablespoon butter and cook stirring until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add a little bit of water whenever onions start sticking to the pan to much. Remove onions onto a separate plate.
- Sausage mixture: To the now empty skillet add 1 more tablespoon butter and minced garlic and cook until just tender, then add all the sausage and increase the heat to medium. Cook the sausage and stir to break up lumps, about 5-8 minutes until browned. Add the apples and herbs and continue to cook, stirring until the apples soften. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until the spinach wilts. Salt and pepper the mixture, taste it and adjust seasoning.
- Broiling: Add the caramelized onions to the sausage mixture, leaving excess cooking fat in the pan. Preheat your broiler and fill four halves of the squash with the stuffing mixture. Arrange the squash on the baking sheet, stuffing side up, and put under the broiler for 5 minutes until the tops get browned and crispy. Be careful not to over-burn. 5 minutes should be enough, but some broilers can be unpredictable.
- Alternative to broiling: If unsure how to use the broiler, just put it in the oven at 400 F for 10 minutes to reheat.
Heather says
My family absolutely loves this recipe. The only thing I do differently is I add Kielbasa sausage. I was wondering if anyone has tried to roast a garlic bulb in the squash while baking/steaming?
Kathy says
Really good. My son-in-law liked the flavors. Had to sit in the oven for a little while and they got a little toasty, should have covered them with foil. I will definitely make this again. Im going to drizzle the left overs with real maple syrup.
Olya says
Thank you Kathy! Real maple syrup all over!
Joan King says
Made recipe with maple sausage, added pecans a drues cranberries . Mmm
Olya says
Perfect additions to the acorn squash!
Jessica says
Made recipe exactly as written and it was fantastic. Thanks!
Olya says
Sounds like you nailed it, Jessica!
Rae Maddox says
I made this two nights ago, and it was so good. I made very few changes, I used veggie sausages, and melted some butter which I mixed with a little maple syrup and coated the squash interiors before turning them upside down to roast. It tastes like being out on a crisp, cold autumn evening, with the sticky sweet taste of the fairground still on your tongue. It's become a huge yes in my family, and I want to thank you so much for sharing your recipe. I would never have dreamt up making something like this.
Olya says
That was written quite beautifully! Thank you.
julie says
I have made this recipe many times since I found it back in 2019. Making it tonight for supper. I wanted to comment again since last time I forgot to give a rating. So yummy! 5 stars!!
Olya says
Julie! Your review made my week!!! I am so thrilled that you've been making it since 2019!