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Sausage, Kale, and Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash

Acorn squash is stuffed with a spicy sausage-speckled, nutrient dense stuffing packed with kale, mushrooms, and mixed grains. It makes a delicious weeknight meal, and comes together a little quicker with a little meal prep the day before. This can easily be made in to a vegetarian meal, by omitting the meat and adding additional mushrooms. Either way, this Sausage, Kale, and Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash is a winner!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Main Dish
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 acorn squash, halved and seeds removed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 lb ground sausage
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 10 oz mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cups kale, chopped finely (about two large leaves)
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa, millet, farro, wild rice, or other favorite grain (see note)
  • 2 Tbsp Pine nuts

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Halve acorn squash, scooping out seeds. Drizzle each halve with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place flesh side down on baking sheet. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until flesh is fork tender. Remove from oven and allow to slightly cool.
  • While squash cooks, prepare stuffing ingredients. In a large skillet, brown sausage over medium heat, breaking it in to bite sized pieces. Remove to a paper towel lined plate, allowing grease to drain.
  • Without removing the grease left behind from the sausage, add the chopped onion, minced garlic, mushrooms, and kale. Sauté until kale is wilted, and mushrooms have started to release their liquid.
  • In a large bowl, combine sausage, mushroom and kale mixture, and desired grain. Stir thoroughly to combine. Season with pepper (the sausage adds plenty of salty flavor!).
  • Once acorn squash has slightly cooled, scoop out additional flesh to create a sizable cavity for stuffing to fill. Feel free to chop removed squash and add to mixture, or reserve for another use.
  • Fill each squash halve with stuffing mixture. Add to a large baking dish, and cover with tin foil Return to oven for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through.
  • Garnish with pine nuts, and any desired cheese. Enjoy!

Notes

I used a mix of grains for my stuffing - feel free to use your favorite!