Description
A comforting and flavorful autumn recipe featuring tender roasted acorn squash stuffed with a savory mixture of wild rice, sweet Italian chicken sausage, fresh apples, herbs, and kale, perfect for a seasonal dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Acorn Squash
- 3 small acorn squashes (22 ounces each), washed, halved lengthwise, and seeds removed
- Olive oil spray
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Wild Rice Mixture
- 1/2 cup (3 ounces) uncooked wild rice (black rice used)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- 1 medium celery stalk, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 sweet Italian chicken sausage links (11 ounces total), casings removed
- 1 Granny Smith apple, chopped into ¼-inch pieces
- 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups chopped kale
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare squash: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spritz both sides of the acorn squash halves with olive oil spray. Season the inside cavities with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Place the squash halves cut side down on a large baking sheet.
- Roast squash: Bake the squash until soft and tender, about 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Cook rice: Meanwhile, cook the wild rice according to package instructions. Once cooked, set aside.
- Sauté vegetables: In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and carrot; cook until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add chopped celery and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Cook sausage: Add the sausage meat to the skillet, breaking it up as it cooks. Cook until the sausage is fully cooked through, approximately 6 minutes.
- Add apple and herbs: Stir in the chopped Granny Smith apple, fresh sage, fresh thyme, chicken broth, dry white wine, and chopped kale. Mix thoroughly and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Combine with rice: Mix the cooked rice into the sausage mixture and remove the skillet from heat.
- Stuff and bake: Spoon about a generous ¾ cup of the rice and sausage mixture into each acorn squash cavity. Transfer the stuffed squash halves into a large casserole dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake for about 15 minutes until heated through.
- Serve: Serve the stuffed acorn squash hot as a hearty autumn main dish.
Notes
- Black rice or wild rice can be used interchangeably depending on preference.
- Remove sausage casings for easier mixing and stuffing.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute sausage with plant-based sausage or additional mushrooms and beans.
- Ensure squash is roasted until tender but not overly soft to hold the stuffing well.
- White wine can be omitted or replaced with extra chicken broth if preferred.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Roasting and Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed acorn squash half
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
Keywords: acorn squash, stuffed squash, autumn recipe, wild rice, chicken sausage, fall dinner, seasonal dish, roasted squash
