Sausage-Stuffed Acorn Squash

The combination of the sausage with the different spices and the sweetness from the cranberries really turn your average garden acorn squash into a dish that makes you feel like the professional home cook that you are. Perfect for serving at dinner parties or for a nice quiet meal at home.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 3 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 23 mins
• Calories: 410 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground sage
• ½ teaspoon olive oil
• 1 acorn squash, halved and seeded
• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 1 ½ cups cubed French bread, crusts removed
• ¼ teaspoon sumac powder
• ¾ cup vegetable stock
• 4 ounces ground sausage
• 2 tablespoons pecans, broken into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon diced fresh thyme

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread bread cubes on a baking sheet.

Step 3

Toast bread in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 4

Mix cinnamon, sage, sumac, white pepper, and cloves together in a small bowl.

Step 5

Brush acorn squash halves with olive oil. Sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon mixture evenly over both halves. Transfer to a baking sheet.

Step 6

Bake acorn squash in the preheated oven until tender, about 30 minutes. Scrape flesh with a fork to loosen slightly.

Step 7

Combine toasted bread and vegetable stock in a pot over medium-low heat. Stir bread around to soak up the vegetable stock and warm up, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

Step 8

Cook and stir sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir into the bread in the bowl. Add remaining cinnamon mixture, cranberries, pecans, and thyme; stir until evenly mixed.

Step 9

Divide bread mixture between the acorn squash halves.