Mustard 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 like a special occasion but comes together in a single skillet and a sheet pan. The filling layers ground pork with warm spices — sage, thyme, cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric — alongside sautéed onion, celery, and tender diced apple, then gets a final drizzle of maple syrup before the second roast caramelizes everything beautifully. For anyone navigating a mustard sensitivity, this recipe is a genuine find, since so many sausage blends and pre-seasoned meats sneak in mustard seed or mustard flour as a filler spice — here you season the pork yourself from scratch, so you know exactly what's in every bite. A splash of apple cider vinegar lifts the whole filling and ties the sweet-savory balance together without any hidden condiment blends. The squash shells do double duty as both cooking vessel and serving bowl, which means less cleanup and a genuinely impressive plate. Fresh parsley stirred in at the end keeps things bright against all that richness. This is the kind of recipe that earns a permanent spot in the fall rotation.
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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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