Acorn Squash with Sausage & Fennel
Acorn Squash with Sausage and Fennel is the perfect recipe to make for anyone who is still on the fence about this whole squash situation…
The acorn squash is roasted with butter and brown sugar (or coconut palm sugar, if Paleo), then filled with the savory blend of fennel, mushrooms, onion, and bulk breakfast sausage.
Here’s why I think you’ll like this recipe.
The acorn squash roasts while you prepare the filling, making this recipe super time efficient.
And while this comfortably feeds four with zero leftovers, it is also ideal for anyone looking for healthy comfort food on a smaller scale. So if you’re not planning to get through both halves of the acorn squash in one meal, then save one for breakfast the next day to serve with a fried egg or two.
Tell me how it went.
I’d love to hear what you think of this version of acorn squash compared to others you’ve prepared! Comment below once you’ve had to chance to make it.
And if you’re interested in more delicious and affordable recipes like this one, take a look at the revamped Frugal Paleo Cookbook! It’s on sale now wherever you buy your cookbooks.
Ingredients
Acorn Squash
- 1 acorn squash
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ tsp brown sugar (use coconut palm sugar for Paleo)
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp ground black or white pepper
Sausage & Fennel Filling
- ½ lb ground pork breakfast sausage
- 1 fennel bulb thinly sliced
- ½ medium yellow or sweet onion thinly sliced
- 6 white or cremini mushrooms sliced
- 2 tbsp butter
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
Acorn Squash
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Prepare the squash by splitting in half (stem to end), then scooping out the pulp and seeds.
- Place the squash halves into a roasting pan, season with salt, pepper, and choice of sugar (use coconut palm sugar for Paleo). Cube the butter and dot the squash.
- Roast the squash for approximately one hour, or until the flesh has softened throughout.
- Remove the squash from the oven and allow to rest until filled with the sausage mixture.
Sausage & Fennel Filling
- While the squash roasts, prepare the vegetables. Remove the fronds from the fennel and thinly slice the bulb; thinly slice half a yellow or sweet onion; mince the garlic; wipe the mushrooms with a dry dishtowel to clean, then slice.
- Add butter to a saute pan warmed to medium-low to medium temperature, melt. Then add the prepared vegetables and saute to caramelize for about 10 minutes.
- Crumble the ground pork sausage into the pan to join the par-cooked vegetables. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, to taste, stir together, and increase the temperature to medium to medium-high so the sausage browns. Continue to cook for another 5 to 7 minutes or until the sausage is fully cooked. If at any point the mixture begins to dry out, cover the pan with a lid.
Complete & Serve
- Transfer the roasted acorn squash to a serving platter. Use a small spoon to drizzle the accumulated butter and seasonings around the edges of the squash before filling. Portion equal amounts of the sausage and fennel filling into each squash half.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley, if desired. Portion by cutting each half into half again–there are four servings total in this recipe.
Nutrition
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