Nutmeg 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 filling layers ground pork with sage, thyme, Ceylon cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric — a warm, aromatic blend that delivers serious depth without a trace of nutmeg anywhere in the recipe. That matters more than you might think, because so many stuffed squash and holiday-adjacent recipes lean hard on nutmeg as a default spice, making them off-limits for anyone who needs to avoid it. Here, the apple cider vinegar brightens everything up, the Honeycrisp or Fuji apple adds a juicy sweetness, and a final drizzle of maple syrup caramelizes beautifully during that last stretch in the oven. Each squash half becomes its own edible bowl, golden at the edges and mounded with a filling that's hearty enough to stand alone as a complete meal. It's the kind of recipe that looks impressive on the table but follows a straightforward, no-fuss process from start to finish.
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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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