Sausage-Stuffed Acorn Squash with Pinenuts and Cherries Recipe

Dec 02, 2011 @ 6:36 PM
Posted by Allison Beck, Special Contributor

Nutrition

Cal/Serving: 394
Daily Value: 20%
Servings: 4

High-Fiber
Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free

Fat	22g	33%
Saturated	2g	12%
Carbs	53g	18%
Fiber	5g	22%
Sugars	22g	0%
Protein	4g	8%
Sodium	672mg	28%
Calcium	112mg	11%
Magnesium	109mg	27%
Potassium	971mg	28%
Iron	2mg	14%
Zinc	1mg	10%
Vitamin A	796IU	16%
Vitamin C	29mg	49%
Thiamin (B1)	0mg	26%
Riboflavin (B2)	0mg	19%
Niacin (B3)	2mg	11%
Vitamin B6	0mg	21%
Folic Acid (B9)	55µg	14%
Vitamin E	3mg	16%
Vitamin K	15µg	19%
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	12g	0%
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	5g	0%

See Detailed Nutritional Info

Have a question about the nutrition data? Let us know.

Pairs Well With

Exclusive from The Daily Meal

The Perfect Cheeseburger

There are plenty of ways to gussy up a burger. But to make one that's as mouthwatering as it is...

Best-Ever Barbecued Ribs

This go-to recipe for classic barbecued ribs embraces what we refer to as our "oven-cheat...

Simple Gazpacho

A cold soup that can be prepared ahead of time is an ideal start to dinner on Fire Island —...

Popular Recipes

More Recipes By Allison Beck

Allison Beck

Squash can be intimidating. Ok, steam it and serve it as a purée, or peel, cube, and roast it until crispy in the corners, tender inside, and with a rich caramelized exterior. Delicious. But after a couple of times, it can get monotonous.

For someone gluten- and corn-free like me, finding healthy carbohydrates to satisfy my hankering can be a challenge. Stuffed acorn squash is one of my new favorite go-tos. Start with sausage, or for vegetarians, a base of brown rice. Supplement with sweeteners (honey or maple syrup) and spices as you wish, then add a variety of flavorings from cherries and pine nuts to something exotic, like pineapple, coconut, and chopped macadamia nuts. You can even try greens — kale, miso, and a garnish of scallion sounds delicious, doesn’t it?

Click here to see the Simple Ingredients Made Spectacular story.

INGREDIENTS

2 acorn squash, sliced in half and seeds scooped out
4 tablespoons olive oil, for brushing, plus more for sautéing
4 tablespoons maple syrup, for brushing
Salt, to taste
2 large yellow onions, finely diced
6 turkey sausage links, removed from casings
1/3 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup pinenuts, toasted

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Trim off the bottom of each squash half so each sits flat. Brush with olive oil and maple syrup. Season with salt and bake for about 1 hour, or until the flesh is tender when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the onions and turn the heat to medium high. Cook for about 10 minutes or until onions are golden and translucent. Season with a pinch of salt and add the turkey sausage. Cook about 10 minutes, or until the meat is cooked most of the way through. Add the cherries and remove from heat. Set aside.

Once the squash is tender, fill each with stuffing. Bake for about 10 minutes, until everything is warmed through. Garnish with pinenuts and serve immediately.