Walnut Free Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash
Roasted acorn squash makes the most naturally beautiful edible bowl, and filling it with savory pork sausage and sweet diced apple turns a humble fall vegetable into a genuinely impressive dinner. The filling is seasoned with sage, thyme, Ceylon cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric, so every bite has this warm, aromatic depth that feels totally seasonal without being heavy. A splash of apple cider vinegar lifts the whole mixture and keeps the sweetness from the Honeycrisp or Fuji apples in check, while a drizzle of maple syrup over the top caramelizes beautifully during that final roast. The entire dish is built around whole, straightforward ingredients — ground pork, fresh aromatics, real spices — so there's no need to scan labels or worry about hidden nut additions sneaking in. Stuffed squash recipes can sometimes lean on chopped walnuts or pecans for texture, but the combination of tender apple pieces and well-browned crumbled pork handles that job perfectly on its own. This is the kind of recipe that looks like you spent hours on it but comes together with one skillet and a sheet pan.
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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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