Acorn squash stuffed with vegetarian sausage and apples. Use store-bought vegetarian sausage to make this fall entree for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any special occasion meal. Stuffed acorn squash makes a very presentable centerpiece for a vegetarian of vegan meal. This stuffed acorn squash recipe serves four, but the portions are generous, so plan on it serving 6-8 if you're serving it as a side dish.
This recipe is courtesy of Lightlife Foods
Ingredients:
- 1 package vegetarian sausage (use Gimme Lean brand)
- 2 cups water
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 6 stalks celery, chopped fine
- 1 Tbsp fresh sage OR 1 tsp dried
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme OR 1 tsp dried
- 6 oz plain stuffing cubes, OR 8 cups toasted bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 medium apple, any kind, diced
- 1/3 cup apple cider
- 2 large acorn squash, cut in half, with seeds removed
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450°. Brown Gimme Lean® Sausage in a non-stick skillet sprayed with a little olive oil, breaking it up and crumbling it with a spatula as it browns. Set aside. Bring water and olive oil to a boil in a covered pot over high heat. Stir in onion, celery, sage, and thyme. Cook, covered, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in stuffing cubes, salt and pepper, applesauce, apple cider, and the browned sausage, mixing to combine. Taste for seasonings.
Divide the stuffing evenly among the acorn squash halves. Arrange the halves in a roasting pan and pour water around (not on) the squash to 1 inch. Spray a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the pan with olive oil spray. This will prevent it from sticking to the stuffing. Cover the pan tightly, tending slightly with the sprayed side down. Bake for about 1 1/4 hours, or until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork.
