Where my foodies at? This meal turned out to be one of my top 3 favorite meals I’ve ever cooked. It is *exploding* with flavor. Delicate acorn squash stuffed with a sweet and savory balance of apples, chicken sausage, kale, onion, garlic and sage all topped with crunchy toasted pecans. This easy, hearty dish just screams fall.
It is a jumble of on-hand ingredients gone right. Every other week, we pick up a share of winter veggies from our CSA with Monroe Organic Farms in Greeley, CO (read our post on CSAs here). This week we got onions, potatoes, beets, turnips, acorn squash, garlic, and some lingering late-summer greens.
I absolutely LOVE acorn squash. Roasted with pecans and honey or stuffed with sausage, mushrooms and more. It is SO versatile, rich, and delicious.
Like other winter squash, you cut it down the center, scoop out the pulp and seeds, and then roast skin side down coated with olive oil. For this recipe, I also brushed on dried garlic and sage before putting into a 400 degree oven for 50-60 minutes.
While you’re cooking the squash, brown the chicken sausage in a large pan with extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. After a few minutes, add diced onion and garlic. Add more olive oil as needed. Cook for 2 minutes until onions soften, then add in diced apple and kale and cook for a few more minutes.
Once squash can be easily pierced with a fork, remove from the oven and fill with sausage mixture. Return to oven for 5-10 more minutes, or until apples soften.
In the meantime, toast pecans on medium heat until fragrant, stirring frequently, so as not to burn them.
I served this with garlic parmesan roasted potatoes and could not help but go back for seconds. I hope your family enjoys these flavors of the season as much as I do.
- 1 large acorn squash
- 12 oz organic chicken sausage
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ red onion, diced
- Healthy Harvest Greek extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small granny smith apple - peeled, cored, and diced
- 1 cup kale- rinsed, dried, and chopped
- ½ cup pecans
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 1 tsp dried garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
- Place acorn squash skin side down in a roasting pan. Brush with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with dried sage and garlic, and place in a 400-degree oven for 50-60 minutes, until fork tender.
- While you're cooking the squash, brown the chicken sausage in a large pan with extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. After a few minutes, add diced onion and garlic. Add more olive oil as needed. Cook for 2 minutes until onions soften, then add in diced apple and kale and cook for a few more minutes.
- Remove squash from the oven and fill with sausage mixture. Return to oven for 5-10 more minutes, or until apples soften.
- In the meantime, toast pecans on medium heat until fragrant, stirring frequently, so as not to burn them.