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Kid-Friendly Stuffed Acorn Squash with Sausage and Apple

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A family-friendly stuffed acorn squash recipe featuring savory sausage, sweet apples, and warm cinnamon, roasted to perfection. It’s a budget-friendly, one-dish meal that even picky eaters will love.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 medium acorn squash (about 1½ pounds each, halved and seeded)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 pound mild Italian sausage (casings removed)
  • 1 medium apple (Gala or Honeycrisp, cored and diced into ½-inch pieces)
  • ½ cup finely diced yellow onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup cooked wild rice or brown rice
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries (optional)
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup chicken broth
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Cut each acorn squash in half from stem to tip. Scoop out the seeds and stringy bits with a spoon. Brush the cut sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place them cut-side down on a baking dish. Roast for 25 minutes.
  2. While the squash roasts, make the filling. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through—about 6 to 8 minutes. Leave about a tablespoon of fat in the pan.
  3. Add the onion and apple to the skillet with the sausage. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and the apple has started to release its juices.
  4. Stir in the garlic, cinnamon, and pepper. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Then add the cooked rice, dried cranberries (if using), and chicken broth. Stir together and let cook for 2 minutes until the broth is mostly absorbed. Remove from heat.
  5. After 25 minutes, check the squash. It should be fork-tender but still holding its shape. Carefully flip each half over using tongs.
  6. Divide the sausage-apple filling evenly among the four squash halves. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top of each stuffed half.
  7. Return to the oven and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the filling is hot and the cheese is golden and bubbly. If the cheese starts browning too fast, tent loosely with foil.
  8. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Don’t overcook the squash in the first round—25 minutes is the sweet spot. Cut the apple the same size as the onion for even cooking. Make extra filling and freeze for another meal. For a vegetarian version, swap sausage for cooked lentils or crumbled tempeh. For a dairy-free option, skip the Parmesan or use a dairy-free alternative.

Nutrition

Keywords: stuffed acorn squash, kid-friendly, sausage, apple, fall dinner, one-dish meal, budget-friendly

Find it online: https://goldensimmer.com/kid-friendly-stuffed-acorn-squash-with-sausage-and-apple/