Baked Stuffed Winter Squash

Winter squash (acorn, kabocha, butternut) is baked, scooped out, and mixed with other ingredients, then stuffed back into the rind and baked. This dish has it all -- veggies, meat, and a natural sweetness and creamy consistency without any added sugar. I use pork sausage but you can substitute something lower in fat.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 466 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 3 acorn squash, halved and seeded

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Place squash halves cut side down in baking pans. Fill pans with about 1/2 inch water. Bake squash 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until tender.

Step 3

While squash bakes, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place onions and celery in the skillet, and cook until tender. Stir in the sausage and thyme. Cook and stir until evenly brown.

Step 4

Remove squash from the oven, and carefully scrape the pulp from the rinds. Set rinds aside. Place the pulp in a bowl, and mash with a potato masher. Mix in the cooked sausage mixture, egg, bread crumbs, raisins, and pecans. Scoop into the reserved rinds. Set stuffed squash in the baking dishes.

Step 5

Bake 25 minutes in the 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven, until heated through.