Stuffed Acorn Squash with Cranberry, Apple & Sausage Stuffing

I had picked up the cutest little acorn squash at Goucher's Farm market a couple of weeks ago with the idea in mind that I was going to bake and stuff it. Of course then I promptly got ill, but I am happy to say that it has finally happened! May I present to you, Stuffed Acorn Squash with Cranberry, Apple & Sausage Stuffing, for two.
I was really super pleased with how this turned out. Not only was it very simple to make, but it ended up being incredibly delicious and super filling. This tasty squash would make for a really lovely Thanksgiving side dish, or a nice and simple midweek supper dish!
Stuffed Acorn Squash with Cranberry, Apple & Sausage Stuffing

Acorn squash is a member of what is known as the "Winter Squash" family. Winter squashes are known for having hard outer skins and delectably sweet and tender inside flesh. They come in a huge variety of options.
Some really large, some really colorful, some much smaller. Pumpkin is a Winter squash. One of the most popular ones is the Butternut Squash, because of its bright orange and sweet flesh.
Acorn squash is one of the smaller varieties and typically has a dark green in shell, although this can vary somewhat. with hints of orange and yellow. You will also see the odd white one. It is milder in taste and more fibrous in texture than butternut squash.
Stuffed Acorn Squash with Cranberry, Apple & Sausage Stuffing

With its vibrant color and sweet tender flesh, it is a great carb option and makes a wonderful side dish! It is typically about the size of a cannon ball, although you may get smaller ones, and is defined by a hard longitudinally ridged outer skin.
It is deliciously packed with a multitude of nutrients and health benefits. Its sweet yellow orange flesh has a slightly nutty flavor. Classified as a fruit, but eaten like a vegetable, it is low in calories and packed with a multitude of vitamins and minerals, most notably Vitamin C!
This nutritional powerhouse also packs in plenty of magnesium and potassium and is a delicious source of healthy fiber!
Stuffed Acorn Squash with Cranberry, Apple & Sausage Stuffing

Cut in half and seeded, you end up with a beautiful hollow pocked that is just perfect for stuffing with other things. In this case today, a delicious herbed bread stuffing, flavored with sausage meat, apple and cranberries.
The stuffing on its own is pretty delicious, but packed into one of those little squashes, you end up with a side or a main (depending on your desires) that is pretty special indeed! I took my inspiration today from a recipe I found on Happily Unprocessed. I adapted the recipe to use what I had on hand and downsized the quantities to feed only two people.
Ingredients for squash

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE STUFFED ACORN SQUASHwith Cranberry, Apple & Sausage Stuffing
There is nothing extremely out of the ordinary here. I used things that I already had in my refrigerator and larder.
You will need:

1 acorn squash (mine was about 4 inches across)
cooking spray

For the stuffing:

1 meaty banger sausage (if your sausages are small you will need two) (remove and discard casing)
1 tsp light olive oil
1/2 of a small onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 stick of celery, trimmed and chopped
1/4 small apple, peeled and chopped
1/8 tsp each, salt and black pepper
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried sage
2 TBS dried cranberries
2 TBS butter
1 cup (120g) dried coarse bread crumbs or stuffing crumbs
1/4 to 1/3 cup (60ml - 80ml) chicken stock

The stuffing crumbs I used were the Pepperidge Farm Classic Stuffing crumbs. You can use any stuffing crumbs you have to hand, boxed or other wise. You can also use stale and dried out regular bread crumbs, although you may need to add some additional seasoning in that case.
I used one of the Free From Bangers Sausages by PC. They are quite large. Each one weighs approximately 100g/3.5 ounces. You can use the equivalent weight in bulk sausage meat or smaller sausages. Just be sure to remove and discard the casings.
cutting the squash

Winter squashes are very hard skinned. I have had some in the past that were very difficult to cut through, but todays squash was not too bad. Wash the squash well, dry, and then place it on a cutting board . I removed the stem and placed it point side up so that it was pretty steady and not slipping around.
Cut down through the squash from the end to the top. Once you have it cut in half it is a simple thing to remove and discard the seeds inside. I like to use a melon baller for this purpose. It does an excellent job but so will a metal teaspoon.
Prepping Stuffed Squash

HOW TO MAKE STUFFED ACORN SQUASHwith Cranberry, Apple & Sausage Stuffing
This is really a very simple dish to make and goes together rather quickly. You can make the stuffing while the squash is going through its initial baking.

Preheat your oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Line a small baking tray with some aluminum foil.Cut your squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Spay with some low at cooking spray and place onto the baking sheet, cut sides down.Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until fork tender. While the squash is roasting make your stuffing.

Heat the oil in a skillet. Crumble in the sausage meat and add the onion and celery. Scramble fry over medium heat until the sausage is starting to brown and the onion and celery have softened.Add the apple and cook for a few minutes longer. Add the crumbs, seasonings, herbs, and butter. Mix well to combine.Drizzle the stock over top and stir to combine, adding only as much stock as you need to make a nice moist stuffing, not soggy.Remove your squash from the oven and turn cut sides up. Rough up the flesh a bit with a fork. Fill each squash with a generous portion of the stuffing, putting any extra into a small buttered baking dish.Return to the oven and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, baking the dish of extra stuffing along side. Every thing should be well heated through and the stuffing beginning to crisp up and get lightly browned. Serve hot. Stuffed Acorn Squash with Cranberry, Apple & Sausage Stuffing

HINTS AND TIPS
1. Make sure you use a well flavored herby sausage. If your sausage doesn't have a nice herby flavor you can add additional herbs to taste. I suggest thyme, nutmeg, sage.
2. If you don't have any chicken stock, you can also use vegetable stock. I think fruit juice would also work well, especially apple or orange.
3. Don't make the stuffing too damp or soggy. Remember squashes can often hold a lot of liquid themselves, so it is probably better to have your stuffing more on the dry side than the damp.
4. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. Gently reheat on medium power in the microwave.
5. You can also roast this in the air fryer. Roast on 350*F/180*C in an air fryer as per the recipe, for 10 to 15 minutes, just until fork tender. Stuff and return to the air fryer and roast at the same temperature for a further 10 minutes.
6. I do not recommend freezing this dish as is. You can remove the squash from the outer shell, and pack into a freezer dish along with the stuffing.
Stuffed Acorn Squash with Cranberry, Apple & Sausage Stuffing

This was really, really, REALLY delicious! The lovely tender and sweet flesh of the squash, combined with that meaty, savory, somewhat sweet/tart stuffing made for a beautiful combination of flavors and textures.
I enjoyed this along with some simple boiled potatoes and steamed carrots as a main meal, but as I said it would be an excellent side dish for any holiday meals.

Some other delicious side dishes in the English Kitchen that can also masquerade as simple mains that you might also enjoy are:

CAULIFLOWER & BROCCOLI CHEESE - Crispy tender pieces of cauliflower and broccoli, bathed in a lush cheese sauce and baked until the whole thing is bubbling and golden brown. What could be bad about that!

CABBAGE, CHEESE & MUSTARD GRATIN FOR TWO - Par-boiled wedges of cabbage are placed in a casserole dish and knapped with a lush cheese an mustard sauce. Topped with buttered crumbs and baked to perfection, this makes a most delicious casserole. A bit of brown bread and butter on the side and I would be a very happy camper with just this and nothing else.

Yield: 2Author: Marie Rayner