Honey Free Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash
Roasted acorn squash filled with savory pork and sweet apple is the kind of autumn dinner that feels both rustic and a little impressive — the sort of thing you'd want to bring to a fall gathering or just make on a Sunday when the air finally turns crisp. The filling layers ground pork with sage, thyme, Ceylon cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric, so every bite has this warm, aromatic depth that pairs beautifully with the tender squash and soft chunks of Honeycrisp or Fuji apple. A splash of apple cider vinegar lifts the whole mixture and keeps it from feeling heavy, while a drizzle of maple syrup over the top adds just enough sweetness to caramelize the edges during that final roast. Many stuffed squash recipes lean on honey as their go-to sweetener, but maple syrup does the job here without any compromise on flavor — it's a clean, natural swap that fits naturally into the dish. The squash halves roast cut-side down first so the flesh gets perfectly tender before you flip and load them up, which means no soggy bottoms and beautifully golden edges by the time it's done. Fresh parsley stirred into the filling at the end keeps everything bright and balanced. It's a complete, satisfying meal built right into its own edible bowl.
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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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