Easy and healthy Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash packed with an abundance of sweet and savory flavor! Caramelized onions, apples, sweet Italian sausage, spinach and fresh herbs stuffed inside perfectly roasted acorn squash, then broiled to perfection. Paleo and Whole30 friendly!
This sausage stuffed acorn squash is my new best friend.
And by “best friend”, I mean with benefits. Lots of benefits! Do people still say friends with benefits or is that a 5 or 10 years ago thing?
I have no idea. All I know of life and love is my glorious sausage stuffed acorn squash with caramelized onions, apples, spinach and herbs.
My Paleo crack, if you remember my Thursday thoughts. (By the way, 3 pairs of those socks came in the mail, all in different colors, so really, heaven is a place on earth.)
I can’t even remember why I ever ate anything other than everything you see right here in this post. Okay that’s a lie – I know damn well why I eat chocolate. And bacon. And plantains.
Aaaand skillet cookies. Okay fine I could totally go on with that. BUT THIS ACORN SQUASH. You need to make this – don’t want to hear any excuses.
Like with all my recipes, I cheated a little. And by “cheating” I just mean I put all my favorite, tried-and-true favorites together knowing it would come out perfectly – or at least just how I like it.
This stuffed acorn squash is reminiscent of my roasted butternut sausage and cranberry stuffing, except it’s better, YES! Better.
I like to challenge myself to one-up an old recipe with something that rocks my world harder. Because yeah, at the end of the day, literally, I am cooking for myself.
And those 4 other people I live with, I guess, but really, it’s all for me.
Did you guys notice I said “rock my world?” I was starting to feel a little self conscious about it so maybe don’t mention in the comments.
Anyway, in case you’re wondering if this stuffed acorn squash is a pain in the butt to put together, the answer is no, not really.
I actually roasted my squash the night before, but, there’s really no need to do that since you can do all your stovetop cooking (onions and sausage mixture) while the squash roasts in the oven, then remove, stuff, broil, and eat! It’s that simple. The eating part is way worth all the rest.
Okay, I’m off to go make something else involving sausage right now for the whole gang, and it’s time for you guys to make this. Or, at least glance through the recipe and hopefully feel good about what you see.
Just kidding about the glancing thing, we’re going to cook this right now! You won’t be sorry – get your apron on (grease stains) and get the oven preheated! Ready, set, go!
Caramelized Onion Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash {Paleo & Whole30}
Caramelized Onion, Apple and Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash {Paleo & Whole30}
Ingredients
- 2 small/med acorn squash cut in half lengthwise and seeds/strings scooped out
- 1 lb pork sausage casings removed if necessary, sugar free*
- 1 large onion or 2 small cut in half and sliced thin
- 3 tbsp ghee coconut oil, or other cooking fat (for caramelizing the onions) + 2 tsp (for sautéing the garlic)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium-large apple cored and diced
- 2 cups fresh spinach roughly chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
- 2 tsp fresh thyme chopped
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
-
Place the 4 acorn squash halves (seeds removed) open-side down on the baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until the top of your squash feels tender when gently pressed. You can always check them and continue to roast a few more minutes if they aren't tender enough. Set aside after removing from oven.
-
While the squash roasts, make the filling. Begin by caramelizing the onions (this process takes a good 20-25 minutes to really bring the flavor out!)
-
In a medium skillet, heat the ghee or coconut oil over low heat and add all the onions, stirring to coat. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and cook over low heat, stirring every 5 minutes ago to prevent burning. Once onions have been cooking for about 25 minutes and are deep golden brown, remove from heat and set aside.
-
While the squash roasts and the onions cook, heat a large saucepan over medium low heat and add the remaining 2 tsp cooking fat to melt. Add the garlic and cook until just tender, then add all the sausage and increase the heat to medium.
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Cook the sausage and stir to break up lumps, about 5-8 minutes until just browned. Add the apples and herbs and continue to cook, stirring until the apples soften. Add the spinach and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the spinach wilts.
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Add the caramelized onions to the sausage mixture, leaving excess cooking fat in the pan. Preheat your broiler, then fill all 4 halves of the squash with the stuffing mixture (you may have leftover depending on how big your squash was)
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Arrange the squash on the baking sheet, stuffing side up, and put under the broiler for 5-10 minutes until the tops get nice and toasty, checking often to prevent burning. Once nice and browned, remove from oven, allow to cool a bit and then serve warm. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*Check labels or look out for your local store's store-made sausage, since they usually leave out sugar and preservatives. You can also check out the sugar free pork breakfast sausage from U.S. Wellness Meats, which is one of my favorites, or their sugar free Italian Sausage links!
Nutrition
What I Used To Make My Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash:
Want more delicious Paleo squash recipes? Try one of these!
Roasted Butternut, Apple & Bacon Hash
Butternut, Apple and Pecan Chicken Salad with Creamy Maple Dressing
Butternut Sausage Thanksgiving Stuffing
More Stuffed Acorn Squash on the web:
Stuffed Squash with Sausage and Apple
Cauliflower Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash
Tell Me!
Do you cook for a bunch of people or mainly yourself?
What food is your best friend today?
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This looks perfect! I started stuffing my acorn squashes about two months ago and cannot get enough. How can you go wrong with edible bowls?!?
I want to make a dessert-y sort of butternut one now. I’m hooked!
Hi Michelle, I love this dish!! Would you be able to provide estimated nutrition information? I want to make it a staple during my whole30 experience!
Michele…I’m making this tomorrow, looks delicious!!! I have been craving some new meal inspiration, thank you!!!!
I loved all the flavors in this recipe. I will make this one again and again!
Apple custard is my best friend today! Yummy, juicy and warm! Perfect for the weather here! I did my grocery shopping for the week yesterday so I hope to try these acorn squash next week end. They look so good!
Apple custard sounds simply amazing, now I’m craving it!
Wow Michele, this looks absolutely delicious! It’s amazing that God made acorns and squashes that look like acorns. His majesty in His creation is just so awesome. 🙂 And this just looks like an AMAZING Thanksgiving/Fall dish.
Thank you Emily! I think acorn squash alone is definitely pretty amazing!
Michele…I’m making this tomorrow, looks delicious!!! I have been craving some new meal inspiration, thank you!!!!
Awesome! Hope it turned out well for you 🙂 I’m so obsessed with stuffing squash right now, I had butternut today – yum!
I just made this and is in the oven now. My husband doesn’t like squash… i am going to change his mind very soon… looks and smells delicious! He even says so… thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Ooh hope it turned out well!
I have to say,.. Normally I don’t leave comments/feedback, when trying new recipes due to the fact that most of the ones I seem to try are hit or miss. I made your stuffed acorn squash recipe for dinner tonight , however, and felt compelled to tell you how absolutely delicious this was, and I will definitely be making this one again. Thanks so much for sharing.
Same here! I just made it for a second time and LOVE this recipe! Craisins are a nice addition to it as well 🙂
Possibly after Whole30 I’ll have to try it with the cranberries too, yummy!
I’ve made this twice in 2 weeks and I don’t know why I bother to make anything else ever. This is soooooo good! Even my picky “I don’t like squash” husband has cleaned his plate both times. I’m already dreading spring, when acorn squash won’t be in season.
Haha that’s how I felt when I first made this! So glad you guys like it!
Everybody loves sausages! This acorn and squash dish looks like the perfect blend of nutrients and taste. Thanks a lot for this recipe.
Of course! Hope you like it!
Just made for the first time tonight! The recipe is a keeper, my husband even gives two thumbs up!
This is definitely a keeper recipe! Made it during Whole 30 and it has been added to our rotation after W30 was over. Relatively easy and quick, and so delicious!
This is definitely one of my favorites as well, over November I ate it constantly! Thrilled you liked it 🙂
You think it would work well if you substituted the sausage for ground lamb and instead of spinach you used Kale??
Yes I think that would be great, although cook the kale longer to soften it up 🙂
I have never posted a comment before but I had to after making this recipe. It was DELICIOUS!!!!!! The flavors were amazing.
I meant to rate it 5 stars not 2
Loving all of your recipes! Could you possibly tell me what brand of sausage you used and which type of apples? Thanks!!
Sure! I love the pork breakfast sausage from U.S. Wellness Meats, here’s the link: http://www.grasslandbeef.com/Detail.bok?no=721&affId=180727 and I usually use pink lady apples for cooking 🙂
get full report of this news at: http://www.factsgrabber.org/lifestyle/turkey-and-herb-stuffed-acorn-squash/?preview=true
This was so yummy! I definitely want to add it into our rotation. Do you think if I made the stuffing that it would freeze well for future dishes?
Hey, so glad you liked it! I haven’t tried freezing it but I think it should be okay 🙂
This recipe was SO yummy! I’d love to add it into our rotation. Do you think if I pre-made the sausage mixture ahead of time that it would freeze well?
I made this recipe recently and it was wonderful! ! I love the textures and flavors. For fun next time, I plan on making this as a scramble by mixing chunks of acorn squash into the stuffing mixture. Thank you for the recipe!
Glad you liked it! It would be awesome as a scramble too, the flavors are some of my favorites 🙂
This looks delcious, curious if you consider one half on serving per person – trying to decide if when making it for just my husband and I if I should cut in half (only use one acorn squash). Thank you!
It’s hard to say since the size of the squash can really vary, it’s up to you and your appetites 🙂
I have to admit that I had somehow never tried acorn squash before and I was a bit hesitant about trying it, but we loved this! It was a great dinner and different from what we usually eat. We have made it several times since!
This was absolutely amazing! Thank you for the great recipe. I’ll be making it often.
So happy you enjoyed it!
Super yummy filing! Simple and delicious! I love the apple, sausage, onion and herb combo. Would work with any squash and stuffed into sweet potatoes!
Delicious! I had to substitute the sausage for Applegate Apple Chicken Sausage diced up, but it was still AMAZING! Thank you for another delicious the recipe!
Love this! Making it today however being new to paleo cooking I didn’t realize my ghee had Himalayan salt and I added salt so it’s a bit salty but still very good.
I know the ghee you’re talking about and it’s a great one! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
This was delicious! I couldn’t find sausage without sugar so I used ground pork and doubled the spices. Next time, I’ll probably use more onions, they sorta’ got lost in my batch. This is definitely a recipe I’ll go back to over & over, thank you!!!
This was really tasty. I didn’t have an apple and used a yellow pepper caramelized with the onion. The rosemary is what makes this recipe sooo good. Make sure to use the whole tablespoon.
YUM!!! The flavor of this dish is truly outstanding. I left out the apples because I’m not very fond of cooked fruit, but everything else was terrific. I added a bit more spinach, just because I like it. I was afraid that it would be dry because of the lack of a sauce, but it wasn’t at all. Incredible dish!!
Delish. My hubby’s favorite clean meal to date!
Just made this tonight and loved it! Easy to make and delicious! Your recipes have yet to fail me! Thank you:)
I just made this the other night and my husband said it was the best thing I’ve ever made!! I subbed turkey sausage. It was delicious and a great way to make use of fall produce.
Just tried this and it was very nice.
Hello Michele!! Wow, this recipe looks amazing! I am planning to add it to my Christmas party menu!! 🙂 I have one question: how much in advance can i make this recipe? Can i make it earlier, during the day, and reheat it during the evening?
Thanks!
Emma
One of my favorite recipes on or off a whole 30 round!! I could eat this for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! Thanks for this great recipe!
Amazing!!!
Made these last night and they are so good! Made extra for lunch today.
I used lean chicken sausage. Recipe was very good!
Fantastic as written. Everyone loved it!
This is THE best harvest dinner out there. I made this while on the Whole30 multiple times and also while I hosted a dinner party. I’m still getting compliments 🙂
This recipe is AWESOME! I made this for my boyfriend and I the other night. Because our local grocery store adds buttermilk to their pork sausage and I’m currently following Whole30, I made two batches: one with ground turkey and one with pork sausage. My boyfriend (non-Whole30) LOVED IT! The batch with ground turkey was also delicious. Thank you for jazzing up an otherwise boring Tuesday! You officially have two new fans of your website. 🙂
Hi! I would love to make this as a Thanksgiving side! You mentioned roasting squash the day before! And the squash was ok? I have one oven and 22 guests for Thanksgiving…so if I can make ANY of this ahead that’s great! Thanks
YUM!!!!
Yummy!! Made it !
Is this freezer friendly?
How well would this freeze?
We just made this meal. My husband loved it! Thanks for sharing!
My boyfriend brought home some farm raised pork from a client of his. I had an Acorn squash I was eager to use. The only way IM familiar with is drenched in sugar and syrup and that wouldn’t fit into my paleo life goals. 😛 I made this recipe for us and for someone who doesn’t tend to eat healthy I was shocked that he absolutely loved it!!! I didn’t have the spinach so I added some cubes sweet potatoe and even a bit of blueberry to add color and texture and we enjoyed that. The sweetness played well with the rest. AND it was so simple. I’m not very experienced in the kitchen and sometimes when I try a new recipe it ends not edible! This process was not overwhelming and I truly enjoyed it. This was so good he ate his and even finished mine when I got full. I swear it’s a challenge to get him to eat! Thank you. Looking forward to trying more of your creations
Dear Michele, I love all your recipes and want to try this one!
Question- Can I substitute a small diced turnip instead of the Apple? (Allergic to apples)
This recipe tastes incredible and is so easy to make. The caramelized onions really make this recipe so don’t skip this step. I made it with non-meat sausage for my vegetarian boyfriend and we both thought the meal was fabulous. Thanks for sharing great recipes for us to enjoy!
Thank you for all your lovely recipes. This looks fantastic!
I made these with caramelized shallots – just beautiful! Great flavor too.
LOVE this recipe!!!
Just made this and it was just what I was craving… autumn in a bowl! The mixture is absolutely delicious! I used ground chicken as my protein and added some chopped mushrooms. Great recipe!
Super easy and absolutely delicious. A new fall favorite. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.
These were excellent! I did half grassfed beef and half lean pork sausage. I also added fresh sage with the rosemary & Thyme. It was so good! I am not a huge squash fan. This is my first time baking a acorn squash ever! I will make them again and share this recipe!
I made this for dinner last night. I loved the sweet/savory combination. My son loved it too!
This is a new favorite! Fragrant and delicious, with the perfect balance of ingredients. I used dried cherries, which I had on hand, and were delightful. What a beautiful, comforting meal. My husband and I absolutely loved it! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Omg so delicious!! Perfect fall recipe. Even my husband and 9 year old ate it up! A little time consuming but I’ll definitely make this again!
OMG so easy, filling and delish! We run a wellness accountability coaching business and we had been testing out fall recipes to recommend to clients and this one was a huge winner! We immediately texted the recipe to all our clients as the perfect, easy filling meal. Plus it’s SO pretty and makes your whole kitchen smell like fall. It’s going in the permanent rotation!
This is one of my our favorite fall/winter recipes. It is so delicious, even as leftovers! Tonight we made it for probably the 4th time and it definitely won’t be the last.
I made these for dinner last night. There was quite a bit of prep but when it all came together, it was worth it! They were tasty and satisfying – and a really nice change. Thank you for this delicious recipe!
This has been a favorite in my house for years! Absolutely delicious, easy, and everything you could want in a fall dish.
Delicious food, simple to prepare. a nutritious dish. I will learn your recipe.
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Excellent. I added a little pine nuts for extra texture and a little goat cheese for creaminess (I know, not strict paleo.). Everyone raved.
This is my go to. Love, love, love it. I use Mulay’s Sausage because they are SUGAR FREE and they are free from the top 9 allergens. So yummy!
Food that I can enjoy as a type 1 diabetic!
thank you
This was a delicious combo of paleo friendly foods! I ended up cooking the squash for longer because I love a good charred top. Other than that, I wouldn’t change one thing! Absolutely delicious. Kudos to the creator, this is going into the rotation.
Not expensive, low in sugar, and super nutritious! Loved the flavor in this, not boring at all. We used Venison Farmer’s sausage in ours.
This is my go to. Love, love, love it. I use Mulay’s Sausage because they are SUGAR FREE and they are free from the top 9 allergens. So yummy!
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I made this for our family Thanksgiving, with a couple alterations. First, I used butternut, because I had it on hand. I prepped everything Friday and scooped out the squash, mixing everything together in a baking dish like a hotdish. Then, on Sunday, I heated up in the oven, covered. Then I uncovered and sprinkled with Monterey Jack cheese (it was Thanksgiving, after all!) and melted it. It was the star of the meal.
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This recipe is a hit! Totally delicious! We used the small bit of leftover stuffing in an egg scramble the following morning. Both meals were a home run!
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Enjoy a delightful recipe for sausage stuffed acorn squash, bursting with flavors from caramelized onions, apples, and sweet Italian sausage. It’s a healthy option for those on a Paleo or Whole30 diet! Speaking of deliciousness, if you’re looking for some fun, try the Slope game to ride down snowy slopes and experience the thrill!