Sausage appled-stuffed squash
With a good chill in the air, my oven and I are enjoying a bit of quality time. It’s been awhile you know. For months, the likes of cold salads, grilled entrees, and skillet sides have kept us apart.
We’re making up for lost time.
Oh, the variety! It’s enough to bring a tear to my eye. Yet, it’s the familiar that captures my heart. You see, as much as I love a tasty something new, there are times when you simply mustn’t deviate from protocol. Substitute one dish for another and you can just forget the Mayan calendar–the world as we know it will immediately come to an impetuous end. It’s the rules. Therefore, for the sake of us all, it’s best not to mess with the likes of pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, cherry glazed ham for Christmas, or Sausage apple-stuffed squash for autumn.
That’s right–sausage apple-stuffed squash. My mom’s made it for years. And while she may not claim the recipe as her own, I’ve yet to come across one as simple as the one she makes. When it comes to stuffed squash, simplicity rules. It’s the gentle melding of autumnal flavors that makes it so divine, and so very perfect for this time of year. Take if off the menu, and I can almost, almost understand those who care the least bit for fall and its grey, leaky skies.
It’s that good.
Needless to say, attempting the recipe on my own could have led to a monumental fail. Lucky for us all, it was nothing but a win.
And you know what that means–if I can make it, anyone can. Don’t believe it? Give a try, see for yourself . . .
Grab your Ingredients
2 acorn or carnival squash, halved and seeds removed
¾ pound pork sausage
¾ cup chopped celery
3 Tablespoons chopped onion
1 medium cooking apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 egg, beaten
½ cup sour cream
¾ cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
Then . . .
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Place squash halves, cut side down, in a shallow baking pan and bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until tender.
- Remove from oven. Turn halves cut side up and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.
- In a skillet, cook sausage, celery, and onion until meat is browned and onion tender.
- Stir in the apple pieces and cook an additional 3 minutes. Drain off fat.
- In a small bowl, combine egg and sour cream. Stir into sausage mixture.
- Fill squash halves with sausage mixture and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
- Top with cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes—or until cheese is melted.
Download: Sausage and Apple Stuffed Squash recipe