Stuffed squash with sausage and apple is the ultimate Whole30 comfort food for fall. You can make this with delicata, acorn, or any winter squash!
I’ve been making this dish since last fall, when I never managed to make it early enough to have decent light left for a photo shoot. It quickly became one of my very favorite meals. This stuffed squash with sausage and apple is beautiful, filling, delicious, and nutritious.
The sweet squash is the perfect backdrop for savory sausage, onions, and mushrooms in a creamy cashew-based sauce, studded with little bits of apple for an extra layer of sweetness. And since these squash boats include a good dose of protein and veggies, I never feel the need to serve a side with them.
I first made these stuffed squash with sausage when I wasn’t doing a Whole30, so I stirred in sour cream and topped them with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano. However, the Whole30 version is shockingly similar.
Once the cashew sour cream is stirred into the sausage mixture, it tastes just as creamy as the lactose-laden version. And a little nutritional yeast gets stirred in to add a bit of cheesy flavor. I replaced the parmesan on top with chopped fresh basil, which tastes great and looks even prettier. Basically, Whole30 or not, you can’t go wrong with this dish.
I like to make this with delicata squash or acorn squash, but you can use your favorite winter squash as long as you choose small to medium ones. Delicata squash has a milder flavor than acorn and the skin is edible, if you’re up for that! Acorn squash is a bit richer and creamier. I can’t decide which one I like best, so I grabbed both at the farmers market and went half and half. (You can even make this with summer squash or zucchini! Sometimes I do that for my husband, who is averse to winter squash. See details in the notes section!)
I usually use a sweet/mild Italian sausage here, but hot works if you like things spicy, and other types of sausage would be delicious, too. This time I went with my current favorite sausage that’s fresh from Big Sycamore Farm; it’s more breakfast than Italian since it’s seasoned with sage, but it worked beautifully here. I’m thinking about trying chorizo next time!
I hope you give this stuffed squash with sausage and apple a try soon! As the new saying goes, it’s not fall until you’ve stuffed a squash.
Stuffed Squash with Sausage and Apple
Stuffed squash with sausage and apple is the ultimate Whole30 comfort food for fall. You can make this with delicata, acorn, or whichever winter squash is your favorite!
Ingredients
- 4 small to medium winter squash (such as delicata or acorn)**
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound bulk Italian or your favorite sausage (or links with the casing removed)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and finely chopped (optional)
- 1 Gala or your favorite apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
- 1/3 cup cashew cream* or sour cream
- [ 1 1/2 teaspoons nutritional yeast]
- Parmigiano reggiano for topping (optional)
- Chopped fresh basil or parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Carefully cut each squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and stringy pulp. Brush the cut sides of the squash lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Arrange the squash halves cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender (acorn squash takes a few minutes longer than delicata). Set the squash aside and leave the oven on.
- While the squash is roasting, make the filling. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add enough olive oil to coat it with a thin layer. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until browned in spots and halfway cooked, about 5 minutes. Stir in the onion and shiitake mushrooms (if using) and continue to cook, stirring often, until the sausage is fully cooked and the mushrooms and onions have softened a bit. Stir in the apples and cook for five more minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the cashew cream sour cream and nutritional yeast (if using). Taste the filling and add salt, pepper, and/or nutritional yeast to taste.
- Turn the squash halves over so the cut sides are up. Spoon the filling into the squash halves and sprinkle a little cheese on top of each one, if using. Return the squash to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are browned in spots. Let cool for 10 minutes and then sprinkle with basil or parsley and serve hot.
Notes
**To make this with zucchini or summer squash, decrease the baking time in Step 1 to 10-15 minutes. Pour out or blot any liquid in the bottom of the roasted squash halves before adding the filling.
*To make the cashew cream, soak 1/2 cup of cashews in very hot water for at least 15 minutes. Drain and rinse, then add the cashews to a blender with 1/4 cup water, 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, and a large pinch of salt. Process in a blender until smooth.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1/2 squashAmount Per Serving: Calories: 295Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 595mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 3gSugar: 8gProtein: 10g
The nutrition label provided is an estimate for informational purposes only and may not be accurate. I am not a nutritionist or medical professional.
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Can these be made ahead of time and cooked the next day? Trying it for the first time for thanksgiving
Made this tonight with my husband and daughter–followed recipe pretty much exactly as written using acorn squash except I used Baby Bella mushrooms instead of Shitake. It was delicious and a huge hit with my AIP daughter and IBS husband. I will definitely make this again. (And the nutritional yeast really added a lot!)
I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed it! This is one of my very favorites this time of year. Thank you so much for letting me know how it went!
Han and I are gonna make this tomorrow! I can’t wait to see how it goes!! Sending love!!! <3
They told me you were going to make this! Can’t wait to hear what you think of it. Sending love to you, too!
I made this the other night and it was a hit! So easy and delicious. I used Cremini mushrooms and added slivered almonds. I am doing whole30 , so no cheese and didn’t have cashew cream. Just made a side salad and had a fabulous dinner . I will be making this again for sure!!
Thank you for such an easy and flavorful dinner.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing your modifications. I love the idea of adding slivered almonds!
I made these last night and my husband LOVED them. Thirty minutes after dinner I heard again how delish it was. This morning the excitement continued when he realized there was leftovers to take for lunch. THANK YOU for the INCREDIBLE recipe.
Yay, I’m so happy to hear that your husband enjoyed these!! They’re definitely one of my favorites. Thanks so much for the kind comment!
Sorry, thanks for sharing! Fargo auto correct!
Haha, autocorrect is the worst! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe. It’s one of my very favorites!
Fixed this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely fantastic! Thanks found sharing!
I made this tonight for my family, and we all LOVED it! Even my 4-year old said she really liked it 🙂 Thank you for this recipe!
I am so glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!! 🙂
If fall was one dish, this would be it. So simple and elegant and delicious! Can’t wait to make this!
Thank you so much, Karly!
These look incredible, Becky! I am so so happy I stumbled upon your post! I’m working on my meal plan for this week and these are the first thing on it! It’s barely fall in Boston and I’ve already had a few fall squash meals – including stuffed spaghetti squash last week. Can’t wait to give these a go next week!
Thanks, Gabriella! Hope you like them as much as we did. I’m from Boston but live in TN now–I miss MA a little this time of year because there’s no sign of fall weather here yet. I’m not letting that stop me from eating all the squash, though…
I love stuffed squash, I usually use delicata but there’s not as much room for the stuffing so I’ve got to try this with acorn squash ASAP!
I think I might even prefer the acorn squash a little bit here! Hope you do give it a try :).
These stuffed squash look so beautiful and absolutely delicious, Becky! I’ve been wanting to do Whole 30 soon, and I’m definitely pinning this for when I do.
Thank you so much, Rachel! This is a great one for the Whole30 because you really don’t feel like you’re missing anything.