Caffeine 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 a weeknight feel like a special occasion. The filling comes together in a single skillet while the squash roasts, layering warm spices like sage, Ceylon cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric into the ground pork for a deeply aromatic result. Diced Honeycrisp or Fuji apple adds a bright, juicy contrast to the savory meat, and a splash of apple cider vinegar lifts everything with just enough tang. A drizzle of maple syrup over each mounded half before the final roast creates caramelized edges that are genuinely hard to resist. Every ingredient here is naturally free of caffeine — no chocolate, no tea-based sauces, no hidden coffee extracts — so you can enjoy a rich, complex meal without a second thought. It's hearty enough to stand alone as a complete dinner, and the edible squash shell makes for a stunning presentation with almost no extra effort.
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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.
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