Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients:
- 2 acorn squash
- 3 links spicy italian sausage, you can use chicken, turkey or pork sausage
- 1/3 cup rice
- 1/2 apple, diced
- 1/4 cup velveeta (or cheddar) cheese, I use velveeta b/c its easy to melt
- 2 tbsp parmesaan cheese
- butter
- cinnamon
- thyme
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 Degrees. Cut the acorn squash in half longways, from stem to tip. This can be difficult so be careful! Use a spoon to scoop out all of the seeds and insides and throw that away. Arrange the halved squash in a baking dish cut side up.
- Melt some butter and brush the inside of the squash with butter. Dust the squash with a layer of cinnamon.
- Roast the squash in the oven until fork tender - 45-60 minutes.
- While the squash is cooking, cook the rice according to instructions.
- Remove the sausage from its casings and brown in a skillet, chopping the sausage into small pieces as it cooks.
- After the sausage has been cooking for a couple of minutes, add a dash of olive oil and add in the apples to cook.
- After a couple more minutes, add the cheese to the pan and stir in as it melts.
- Finally, add the cooked rice to the mixture and turn off the heat to the pan. Add thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Make sure everything is mixed well.
- Once the squash is tender, remove it from the oven. Fill the cavities with a heaping portion of the sausage mixture. Top each with a dusting of parmesan cheese.
- Return squash to oven for 15 minutes or so, the filling should be bubbly and the cheese on top should form a crunchy topping.
- Enjoy!
Feel free to add cranberries, onion, celery or whatever else you think might be delicious.
