Nitrate & Nitrite Free Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash
Roasted acorn squash filled with savory pork and sweet apple is the kind of autumn dinner that makes the whole kitchen smell incredible. The real trick here is building your own sausage seasoning from scratch — dried sage, thyme, ginger, turmeric, and Ceylon cinnamon go straight into the ground pork, so you get all that warm, spiced flavor without relying on any pre-made sausage that might contain cured additives or preservatives. That matters a lot when you're trying to avoid nitrates and nitrites, since conventional sausage products are one of the most common sources. Honeycrisp or Fuji apples bring a bright, juicy sweetness that balances the savory pork beautifully, and a splash of apple cider vinegar lifts everything in the pan. The maple syrup drizzle at the end caramelizes slightly during the final roast, giving the edges of the squash a gorgeous golden finish. Each half becomes its own edible bowl, which makes serving feel a little special without any extra effort. This is genuinely satisfying weeknight food that happens to be made entirely from whole, clean ingredients you can feel good about.
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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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