Sausage & Apple Stuffed Butternut Squash

This sausage and apple stuffed butternut squash is the perfect festive and healthy high protein breakfast option or delicious healthy Thanksgiving side dish.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword stuffed butternut squash

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 20

Servings servings

Calories 454kcal

Author Kelli Shallal MPH RD

Equipment

Oven
Skillet

Ingredients

1 Large Butternut Squash
½ Yellow Onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 lb ground breakfast sausage chicken, turkey, or pork
2 gala apples chopped
¼ teaspoon sage
5 ounces spinach (4-6 cups)
¼ cup chopped pecans optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Wash and dry your butternut squash.
Cut squash in half lengthways and remove seeds. Grease the flesh of the squash, then place each half face down on the baking sheet. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until fork-tender. In this recipe, slightly softer is better than firmer squash so cook it a few minutes extra if you need too.
While the squash is roasting, make the sausage and apple filling. Chop onions and apples. Mince garlic. Then add 1 tablespoon avocado oil to the skillet with chopped onions and garlic. Saute on medium heat for one minute or until translucent and tender.
Add sausage and sage to the skillet. Once you've broken up the sausage a bit, you can add the apples. Saute the mixture until the sausage is fully cooked and the apples are tender about 10 minutes.
Mix in greens to the skillet, you may have to work in batches to get them all in. Saute until all the greens have been just wilted, then remove the mixture from the heat.
When the butternut squash is done, allow it to cool slightly (turn it face up for faster cooling). Then, scoop out about one inch all the way around. I chose to scoop it out in large pieces that I could then cut up into cubes and toss in with the sausage and apple mixture. You could simply save it for later or discard it. Divide filling among the two squashes. Optional to top with pecans for a festive flare.

Notes

Once the squash has cooled a bit, you scoop out some of the butternut squash flesh, chop it, and toss it with your sausage and apple filling. Then you can fill both halves of your butternut squash for a beautiful, healthy thanksgiving side dish OR healthy breakfast option for the holiday/winter season.

Nutrition