Whole30 Day 16 Dinner: this Fall/Winter my intention is to become more comfortable cooking with winter squashes outside the realm of the ever famous Butternut. For this recipe, I utilized an Acorn squash and opted for a savory dish instead of the popular cinnamon/brown sugar version. I could not for the life of me find a pre-made turkey sausage without sugar so I just made my own and it turned out rather delicious. And since I can’t use breadcrumbs or cheese, I topped the stuffing

with crushed Walnuts. We both very much enjoyed this dinner and I look forward to cooking with Acorn squash again.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Turkey Apple Sausage

Ingredients: 

1 Acorn squash

1/2 lb good quality ground Turkey

1 over ripe Apple, cored and chopped

2 Tbsp fresh Sage, chopped

1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds

1/4 tsp Allspice

1 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped Walnuts

1 tsp Ghee

Garnish: Chopped Green Scallion

Method: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Trim the top and bottom edges off the Acorn squash. Position the squash up on its flattest end and then carefully slice the squash in half. Spoon out all the seeds and discard. Place the Acorn squash halves on a sheet pan and drizzle with oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven about 45 minutes until tender.

In a cast iron skillet over med flame, add the Grapeseed oil and heat until shimmering. Add in the ground turkey and fennel seeds. Saute until the sausage begins to brown about 5 to 8 minutes. Add in the chopped apple, sage, Allspice, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined and continue to cook until the apples have completely cooked down, about 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Turn off the flame.

In a microwave safe dish, heat the Ghee until just warmed through. Toss the chopped Walnuts with the Ghee. Set aside.

Once the Acorn squash is tender, remove from the oven and carefully fill the center with the Turkey Apple Sausage. Top with the walnuts. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake the stuffed Acorn squash about 30 minutes more. Allow to rest a few minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped Green Scallion, if desired.