Really Dana, really? Another stuffed squash recipe? Didn’t you just give us that Pulled Pork Stuffed Delicata Squash recipe 2 weeks ago?

Yes, friends. It’s another stuffed squash recipe. And trust me, you’re going to LOVE this one. Not like your Mom used to say “You’ll EAT IT AND YOU’LL LIKE IT” at dinner when she tried to make you eat your vegetables. Well, that wasn’t really how it was with my mom. She just kind of gave up trying when I was little. But it’s okay, Mom. I eat tons of vegetables now. See??

Spiced Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash | Real Food with Dana

But seriously. You will love this recipe if you love (or are totally obsessed with) fall squash things like me. Especially because this recipe seems super complicated and fancy when you look at it…but it’s actually super easy. Ready?

  1. cut + bake squash.
  2. make filling. some chopping, sautéeing, and browning meat up in here.
  3. stuff squash.
  4. bake again for a tiny bit and then…
  5. FACEPLANT.

Spiced Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash | Real Food with Dana

Honestly, cutting that damn squash might be the hardest part. DAMN YOU SQUASH, why do you have to be so damn delicious but so damn hard to cut without me risking my life/hand/fingers with a giant knife EVERY TIME I WANT TO EAT YOU!?

The struggle is real, you guys. Luckily, I figured out a super quick cheater way to make handling these babies easier. Poke them with a fork a few times, pop them in the microwave for about a minute or two before you even attempt to cut them. Then take them out and go at them with your giant chef’s knife. SO much easier. You’re welcome.

So why spiced apple, you ask? Well. This squash has DOUBLE the apple action in it. I used some chopped fuji apples, and chicken apple sausage. And some spices that I would normally put in applesauce, like cinnamon and nutmeg. YUM to the max, am I right?! And some maple-balsamic vinegar to tie it all together. And to make it look fancy. Spiced Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash | Real Food with Dana

Oh, you fancy huh, you Spiced Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash, you.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Spiced Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Dana:
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 acorn squash
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
  • 1 large parsnip, peeled and diced
  • ½ medium onion, diced
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1 Aidell’s chicken apple sausage, diced**
  • 1 small apple (I used fuji), diced
  • 1 tsp Tessemae’s roasted garlic(substitute: minced garlic)
  • 3-4 sage leaves, chopped small
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves chopped small
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp sea salt + additional, to taste
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • Maple-balsamic vinegar, for drizzling (optional)*
Directions
For the squash
  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Slice the squash widthwise in half and lightly rub the inside and cut edge with about ½ Tbsp oil and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper.
  3. Place on the pan cut side down and roast for about 30-35 minutes. The edges will be golden brown and the flesh will be just tender.
  4. Turn the oven temperature down to 350 when the squash is done.
  5. While the squash is baking, make the filling.
For the stuffing:
  1. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil.
  2. Once the pan is hot, add in the parsnips, onions, and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onions are slightly translucent and soft.
  3. Stir in the chopped apple, sausage, and ground meat, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Season with the chopped herbs, cinnamon, nutmeg, 1 tsp salt and a pinch of pepper.
  4. Continue to cook the meat until lightly browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
  5. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar.
  6. Once the squash is done baking and the oven is down to 350, spoon equal parts of the stuffing into each squash half. Pop it back in the oven for about 5-10 minutes to warm the flavors together.
  7. Serve with a drizzle of maple balsamic vinegar.
Notes
*For Whole30 or 21dsd, omit the maple-balsamic vinegar. for AIP, you may have to use a different sausage than Aidell's, which includes "spices".

Spiced Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash | Real Food with Dana

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6 Comments

  1. I made these tonight and it was SO delicious. I skipped the parsnip and ground turkey (doubled the chicken sausage) simply because I didn’t have them on hand, but they came out great and I’ll definitely be making them again!

    1. Yay!! So great to hear, Amber! And omg. the chicken sausage is SO good and adds so much flavor! It’s great to mix with the turkey too, you have so much more leftovers that way 🙂

  2. I am new to your blag thanks to your instagram takeover on Whole 30 Recipes recently (thank you for coming into my life HAHA) and I have this recipe on my To Do List…. but I had to comment, I had the chicken apple sausages this weekend and they were out of this world and so worth the extra expense BUT now I cannot wait to try this recipe. I have an acorn squash sitting on my counter waiting to be stuffed with this delicious-ness. Just wanted to pass that along and that I am super excited to follow your blog.

    1. Hey Kristin!

      Yay, you’re so welcome! Aren’t they so good?? I get mine at Costco, so it’s three packs for the price of two at Safeway or Giant! Thanks so much for following along!

      Dana

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