Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Sausage, Kale, & Walnuts
Hello friends! I hope you are all staying warm this January. The weather has been mild in northern Colorado but we’re hunkering down for a cold front this weekend. Although, still no snow, much to my chagrin. But it will be frigid so I’m planning my meals around that fact – Give me all the warming comfort food! This acorn squash stuffed with kale, sausage, and walnuts is just about the perfect meal for cold, blustery weather. It’s rustic, easy, savory, and delicious. All the things you want for a cozy dinner.
I take acorn squash, cut it in half lengthwise, drizzle and rub with olive or avocado oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast it in the oven.
While the squash is roasting, I make the filling. First, I brown sausage in a large skillet. I love using spicy breakfast or Italian sausage but feel free to experiment here. You can use mild if that suits your fancy better… and I think chicken apple sausage or chorizo would also be divine. This is a great recipe to use up stuff that you may already have in the refrigerator.
When the sausage is browned, I transfer it to a bowl and cover to keep warm. In the same skillet, I add onion and cook just until soft. If I use a leaner sausage, I add a splash of oil to the skillet and let it heat for a minute before adding the onion. If there is fat left in the pan from the sausage, just use that to sauté your onion. No need to add extra oil. Next, I add garlic, chopped walnuts, sage, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. The walnuts might sound odd, but they add such a great flavor and slight crunch to the dish. The sage and nutmeg add an earthy, savory flavor. But if you’re not a fan, you can always omit or use spices and herbs of your choice. Thyme, oregano, and paprika could all be great!
After the walnuts and spices cook for a few minutes, I add in chicken broth to help deglaze the pan. When you add in the broth and it starts to bubble, scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. These brown bits add so much flavor! When the sauce is bubbly, I throw in chopped kale, mix, and let it cook just until wilted. I mix the sausage back into the pan, remove from the heat, and stir in grated parmesan cheese.
I spoon this mixture into the roasted squash halves, top with more walnuts and a parmesan cheese/bread crumb mixture, and bake for another ten minutes until the top is golden brown and serve.
This recipe works well as a main dish or side and it’s something the whole family will love!
Eat well and enjoy!
Ingredient Details
- Oil – I prefer avocado or olive oil for this recipe because they are both healthy fats and have a rich but neutral flavor. However, any high heat cooking oil would work.
- Sausage – I usually use hot breakfast or hot Italian sausage for this recipe. However, if you are sensitive to spicy foods, mild would work great too. Even something like turkey sausage or chorizo would be delicious.
- Onion – Yellow or white onion would work best for this recipe. You could use red onion if that’s what you have on hand, but it will change the flavor profile just a bit.
- Garlic – When I say 2 to 3 cloves, I usually end up adding 3. But just like salt and pepper, this can be added to taste.
- Walnuts – I use raw, unsalted walnuts for this recipe. If you use salted, just omit some of the extra added salt. Also, most other nuts would work for this recipe as well. Pecans or hazelnuts would work great!
- Sage and Nutmeg – These two spices add just enough earthiness and warming flavors without being too overbearing. If you aren’t a fan of these, they can be omitted.
- Salt and Pepper – Add this to taste. I would go a bit more on the conservative side and taste the filling just before adding to the squash to see if it needs any more salt or pepper.
- Chicken Broth – I use low sodium in this recipe but regular works too! If you don’t have chicken broth; a dryer white wine, vegetable broth, or even beef broth would also work.
- Kale – I like to use Lacinato Kale, or “Dinosaur Kale” for this recipe because it tends to be mild and more tender than other varieties. However, if your grocery store does not carry this type of kale, the curly versions would also work. They may just have to be cooked a bit longer. You could also use fresh spinach or any other type of green that you choose.
- Parmesan Cheese –I use grated parmesan cheese for this recipe. Shredded would also work if that’s what you have on hand. And feel free to experiment with other cheese if you feel so inclined. Gruyere, Swiss, or Fontina would work nicely.
- Breadcrumbs – I just use plain, store-bought breadcrumbs for this recipe. But if you have flavored, those will work just as well! They will just change the flavor profile a bit.
- Cooking Oil Spray – I usually spray the top of the breadcrumb mixture with some cooking spray just before baking. This helps with the browning, but it is totally optional. You could also mix the breadcrumb mixture with a touch of melted butter or oil for a similar outcome.
This rustic stuffed acorn squash recipe comes together quickly and is perfect for an easy, nutrient packed family dinner.
- 4 medium acorn squash
- 3 to 4 tsp oil (I like olive or avocado oil)
- 1/2 to 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp oil (I like olive or avocado oil)
- 8 oz sausage (I use hot breakfast sausage but you could use mild, Italian, or even chorizo)
- 1 medium to large yellow onion (diced)
- 2 to 3 clove garlic (minced)
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (plus 4 teaspoons for topping)
- 1/4 tsp dried rubbed sage
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
- 1/3 to 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 4 cup chopped lacinato kale (washed and patted dry)
- 6 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (divided)
- 3 tbsp bread crumbs
- Cooking Oil (optional)
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
Using a large, sturdy knife, carefully cut each acorn squash in half lengthwise. Using a large spoon, scoop out the seeds until the inside of the squash is clean. Place the squash halves, cut side up, on a lined rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle about 3 to 4 teaspoons oil over the squash, rubbing the oil all over each half. Sprinkle the cut sides with salt and pepper.
Bake the squash, cut sides up, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until fork tender.
While the squash bakes, make the topping and filling.
For the topping, mix 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese and 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Set aside.
For the filling, place a large skillet over medium heat, adding oil if using leaner sausage or a stainless-steel pan. When the skillet and oil are hot, add the sausage. Break apart the sausage using a spatula or wooding spoon. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the sausage is browned and no longer pink. Remove the sausage from the skillet and set aside, covering to keep warm.
In the same skillet, add the onion, ¼ cup chopped walnuts, and another splash of oil if needed – If there is some grease left from the sausage, you can omit any extra oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 to 60 seconds.
Next, stir in the nutmeg, sage, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken broth to deglaze the skillet, scrapping up any brown bits. Add the kale, stirring until everything is mixed well. Cook until the kale is just barely wilted, about 5 minutes.
Add the sausage back into the skillet and mix well. Remove from the heat and stir in 3 tablespoons of parmesan cheese. Set aside.
When the squash is fork tender, remove from the oven but do not remove from the baking sheet. Lower the heat to 375. Fill each squash half with equal amounts of the sausage mixture. Sprinkle each half with about 1 tsp. of chopped walnuts and about a quarter of the bread crumb mixture. Spray the top lightly with cooking oil (optional – This will help with the golden color). Bake for about 10 more minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
Serve warm.