BHA & BHT Free Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash
Roasted acorn squash filled with savory-sweet pork and tender apple chunks is the kind of dinner that makes autumn feel like a celebration. The filling layers ground pork with sage, thyme, Ceylon cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric — a warm, aromatic blend that smells incredible as it cooks down with onion, celery, and garlic. Diced Honeycrisp or Fuji apple adds a bright, juicy contrast, and a splash of apple cider vinegar lifts everything with just enough tang. A drizzle of maple syrup over the top before the final roast pulls it all together into something that's genuinely hard to stop eating. For anyone navigating preservative-free eating, packaged sausage products are one of the trickiest categories to shop — BHA and BHT show up in a surprising number of seasoned meat blends. This recipe sidesteps that entirely by building the sausage flavor from scratch using individual spices and plain ground pork, so you know exactly what's in every bite. Every ingredient here is whole and straightforward, from the coconut oil used for roasting to the fresh parsley stirred in at the end. It's a satisfying, complete meal that comes together in one skillet and one baking sheet — and it looks impressive enough to serve to guests without any extra effort.
About FigFig is a food discovery app that helps you find foods and recipes that fit your dietary needs. Whether you have food allergies, intolerances, or follow a specific diet, Fig makes it easy to eat with confidence.
Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the squash
- 2 medium acorn squash (about 1.5 lb each), halved through the stem and seeds removed
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted, divided
- ½ tsp fine sea salt, divided
For the filling
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 tsp dried sage
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ceylon cinnamon
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium apples (such as honeycrisp or fuji), peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
For finishing
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 2
Brush the cut sides and cavities of the acorn squash halves with 1 tbsp of the melted coconut oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of the salt. Place cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, until the flesh is just tender when pierced with a knife.
Want the full recipe?
Create a Fig account for step-by-step instructions, access to our full recipe library, and more!