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Sweet, tender baked squash with a savory sausage, corn, apple, and herb filling. Acorn Squash with Sausage and Corn Stuffing is a satisfying one-dish dinner bursting with the best flavors of fall.

Remembering A Childhood Favorite – Acorn Squash With Sausage And Corn Stuffing

Most people have memories of a favorite childhood dish or two. My mom’s corn and sausage casserole is one of mine. Basically, it was a sort of meatloaf made with bulk sausage and canned corn and topped with copious amounts of ketchup.

It might not sound very good but it was. And by that, I mean that it tasted good. Whether it was good for us was a different issue.

Though I no longer eat giant portions of sausage, I remember Mom’s casserole fondly and with a certain nostalgia. It was a heavy, hearty dish that she reserved for fall and winter meals. When mornings get crisp and fall mums show up at the garden center, I always find myself thinking about it. This year too.

While standing by the kitchen window last week, watching a shower of golden yellow leaves dance in the wind before drifting down to the lawn, I found myself remembering Mom’s casserole.

Wouldn’t it be nice if I could create a lighter and healthier version of that hearty, satisfying fall dish?

When I spotted a huge pile of locally grown acorn squash at the market later that day, I realized I could.

Acorn Squash With Sausage And Corn Stuffing – Updated Fall Recipes

Let me be clear, I don’t believe in “good” or “bad” foods. However, once your metabolism slows down and you add a cardiologist to your list of doctors, eating lots of sausage is probably not a great idea.

But that doesn’t mean you have to banish it entirely.

Using a modest amount of sausage, upping the ratio of corn, and adding chopped apple, onion, and herbs gave me all the savory flavor of my mom’s old recipe. In fact, it might even taste a little better than her version. (Don’t tell Mom.)

The sausage has so much flavor that you really don’t need much of it. And those nice, tart chunks of apple, sweet onion, and bits of fresh rosemary add a lot. Stuffing the whole mixture into a baked acorn squash boat is the icing on a yummy cake.

A spoonful of sweet and tender baked squash along with some of savory sausage stuffing is a little bite of heaven.

The fact that acorn squash with sausage and corn stuffing is a one-dish dinner and super easy to prepare makes it even better.

Mix-Ins and Substitutions

I’ve used bread as a binder but you can replace it with rice for a gluten free version. The sweet tart taste of a Granny Smith apple is terrific with the sausage and fresh herbs, and definitely my first choice. But you can use another apple variety if you’d like.

Fresh corn sliced from the cob is my preference, but canned or frozen corn can be substituted. I used a tomato paste in my recipe. However, if you’d rather use ketchup, that’ll work just fine.

My husband doesn’t care for spicy foods, so I used sweet sausage. If you like spicier dishes, feel free to use a hot variety of ground sausage. Rosemary is a perennial favorite in my kitchen, but fresh thyme or sage would also be a good choice.

As you can see, there’s plenty of room for interpretation here. Don’t be afraid to change things up to suit your family’s tastes.

How to Make Stuffed Acorn Squash

As I said, my mom’s recipe was basically like a meatloaf. So is the sausage stuffing that fills the middle of the baked acorn squash boats.

It’s important that you cook the onion on the stovetop before you add stuffing mixture. If you don’t the onion will be a little to firm and taste a bit sharp. Once you’ve done that, you really just moosh all the stuffing ingredients together in a bowl before stuffing it into the hollowed out squash.

My preferred method of mooshing (yep, that’s an industry term) is to mix everything with my hands. You can use a spoon if you prefer, but using your hands is quicker. It also makes it easier to ensure that the ingredients are evenly distributed.

Of course, you need to prep the squash before filling. Acorn squash are large and the uncooked flesh is very firm flesh. Use a big, well-sharpened chef’s knife to cut the squash in half lengthwise.

Next, you’ll scoop out the seeds and any stringy membranes. Rub the yellow orange interior flesh with a little olive oil, then sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.

This recipe makes a generous amount of stuffing. Once the indentation in the squash is full, heap on the remaining sausage stuffing, pressing it into a dome shape.

Even in a fairly hot oven, acorn squash takes a long time to bake thoroughly. To keep the stuffing from burning on top, you may want to tent it with some foil halfway through baking. (I forgot to do this but I won’t next time. However, it still tasted great.)

Acorn Squash With Sausage And Corn Stuffing – A New Family Favorite

My husband had never tasted my mom’s sausage casserole, but boy did he love the stuffed acorn squash that it inspired! He went on and on about how good it was, and I have to agree.

This updated version of a recipe inspired by a beloved fall comfort food is a new favorite in our family. I bet your family will like it just as much as we did.

Give it a try soon!