STUFFED ACORN SQUASH
Serves 4-6
• 2-3 large acorn squash or other winter squash
Cut squash in half and remove seeds and strings. (To make this easier, pierce squash with a knife and microwave a minute or two.) Place cut side down on lightly greased baking sheet with sides. Bake at 350F / 180C until almost soft but not mushy, 40-50 minutes. (Or cook in the microwave for about 10 minutes covered.) May do this step in advance. Remove from oven, fill with one of the following stuffing options and finish baking as directed.
SAUSAGE STUFFING:
• 1 pound / 500 g bulk sausage or turkey sausage
• 4 celery stalks (finely diced)
• 1 medium onion (finely diced)
• 2 carrots (shredded)
• 1/4 cup / 60 ml water
• 2 cups / 500 ml bread crumbs
Saute sausage just until cooked through. Add celery, onion, carrots, and water. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Mix in bread crumbs. Stuff into cooked squash and bake at 375F / 190C for 10 minutes.
APPLE-SAUSAGE STUFFING:
• 1 pound / 500 g bulk sausage
• 1 onion (diced)
• 1 apple (diced)
• 2 cups / 500 ml toasted bread cubes
• 3/4 cup / 175 ml nuts (chopped)
• 3/4 cup /175ml golden raisins
• 1 tablespoon sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon each dried thyme, basil and oregano
Brown sausage in large skillet. Add onion and apple and saute just until tender. Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients and stuff into cooked squash, cover, and bake at 375F / 190C for 20 minutes.
APPLE STUFFING:
• 2-3 tart apples (diced)
• 1/4 cup / 60 ml maple syrup
• 1/4 cup / 60 ml butter (melted)
Combine. Stuff into cooked squash, cover, and bake at 375F / 190C for 30 minutes.
MUSHROOM STUFFING:
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 1/2 cup / 125 ml mushrooms (chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 cups / 500 ml bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon sage and salt
• dash pepper
In large frypan saute onion, mushrooms, and garlic until soft. Add remaining ingredients and stuff into cooked squash. Bake at 375F / 190C for 20 minutes.
FRUIT AND NUT STUFFING:
• 1 1/2 cups / 375 ml onion (chopped)
• 1 stalk celery (diced)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 tart apples (chopped)
• 1 1/2 cups / 375 ml bread crumbs or cooked brown rice
• 1/2 cup / 125 ml sunflower seeds
• 6-8 dried apricots (chopped)
• 1/4 cup / 60 ml nuts (chopped)
• 1/4 cup / 60 ml raisins, dried cranberries, or currants
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon each dried thyme, sage, oregano
• dash pepper
In large frypan saute onion, celery, and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil until onion is translucent. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Stuff into cooked squash, cover, and bake at 375F / 190C for 20-30 minutes.
Sausage Nancy Halder, Parnell, Iowa; Apple-Sausage Judith Mishler, Shipshewana, Indiana; Apple Christine Field, Reading, Pennsylvania; Mushroom Susan Carlyle, Barnardsville, North Carolina; Fruit And Nut Jennifer Degroot, Winnipeg, Manitoba
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