Italian Sausage Stuffed Squash Recipes

SAUSAGE STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• Bake the squash: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. With a sharp, sturdy chef's knife, carefully cut the squash in half from stem to base. Scoop out and discard the stringy core and seeds. Arrange the halves cut-sides up on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush each half with 1 teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, until the edges begin to wrinkle and the flesh is fork-tender. Set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
• While the squash bakes, prepare the filling: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage. Brown the meat, breaking it apart into small pieces for 3 minutes.
• Add the mushrooms, onion, apple, salt, pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and minced garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sausage is cooked through, the vegetables and apple are softened, have given up liquid, and the liquid has cooked off, about 8 additional minutes.
• When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out its flesh, leaving a wall all the way around that is about ¼-inch thick. Add the scooped squash to the pan with the sausage. Add the herbs and ¼ cup Parmesan. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired.
• Mound the filling inside of the hollowed squash halves. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the top. Place the pan in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the filling is nice and hot, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with additional fresh herbs as desired. Serve hot.

SQUASAGE (SAUSAGE-STUFFED SQUASH)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet or line with aluminum foil.
• Place squash, cut sides down, on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tender, about 1 hour. Flip squash halves over and set aside to cool.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease. Add celery, mushrooms, and onion; cook and stir until celery is softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
• Beat egg in a large bowl; stir in sour cream and Parmesan cheese. Stir cheese mixture into sausage mixture. Fill squash halves with sausage filling.
• Bake in the preheated oven until filling is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

SAUSAGE-STUFFED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Cut squash lengthwise in half; discard seeds. Place squash in a large microwave-safe dish, cut side down; add 1/2 in. of water. Microwave, covered, on high until soft, 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly., Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook and crumble sausage with onion over medium-high heat until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute., Leaving 1/2-in.-thick shells, scoop flesh from squash and stir it into sausage mixture. Place squash shells on a baking sheet; fill with sausage mixture. Sprinkle with cheese., Broil 4-5 in. from heat until cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with pepper flakes. To serve, cut each half into 2 portions.

SAUSAGE-STUFFED SPAGHETTI SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Cover a baking sheet with foil.
• Drizzle the squash flesh with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place both halves, cut-sides down, on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tender when pierced with a fork, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage, onion, and garlic in the hot skillet until sausage is browned and crumbly, 7 to 10 minutes. Add bell pepper and mushrooms and saute for 3 minutes. Drain and discard any grease and excess liquid.
• Stir in tomato sauce, black and green olives, and Italian seasoning, and bring to a simmer, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the squash from the oven. Flip over so flesh is facing up. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese into each half, then divide sausage mixture evenly between the two. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella over top.
• Return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 more minutes.

SAUSAGE-STUFFED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place squash halves in a shallow pan and cover with water.
• Roast in the preheated oven until tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool partially, about 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; do not drain fat. Add onion and garlic to sausage and cook and stir over medium-high heat until onion has softened, about 5 minutes.
• Remove flesh from squash, leaving 1/3-inch flesh in the shell to keep it sturdy. Mix squash flesh, sausage mixture, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, and cayenne together in a bowl. Stuff squash shells with mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.