There are foods that I consider to be autumn foods. Squash, pumpkin, sage sausage, and soups in general come to mind. I love cooking seasonal foods, partly because it tends to be a cheaper way of eating, and partly because there’s just something scrumptious about picking up a squash that was in a field 2 hours ago, and baking it up. Today’s recipe is for a stuffed squash, but I haven’t told you what type. The honest answer is, it doesn’t really matter. I found Sweet Dumpling Squash on sale today, but had originally gone looking for acorn. I will say that Spaghetti and Butternut Squash don’t do as well in this recipe, only because they don’t have a big hole in them to stuff full of yumminess. But if that’s what floats your boat, go for it! You do you, Boo!
Ingredients:
- 2 winter squash, halved and cleaned of seeds
- 1 lb ground sausage, sage/breakfast style
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 small carrot, diced
- 1 rib celery, diced
- 2 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup of COOKED rice, barley, quinoa, or other grain
- spices, to taste (either sweet or savory, your choice)
- cheese, for topping (optional)
- walnuts, for topping (optional)
Preheat your oven to 400F. Place the four halves of squash, open side down, onto a rimmed baking sheet. Add a bit of water (this helps by steaming the flesh of the squash slightly), and put in the oven for 30 minutes to an hour. Check after 30 minutes for doneness; you want the squash to be soft through, but not brown or caramelized at all.
While the squash is cooking, brown up your ground sausage in a cast iron pan or pot. I prefer to use a nice sage sausage for this, because it’s my go-to flavor for this time of year. If you prefer sweet or hot Italian, go for it. If you don’t do pork, feel free to substitute in ground beef, tofu, TVP, venison, squirrel, turkey, or chicken. If you’re not using a sausage, pick up a good “sausage spice” to add to your ground meat, or it will be bland later. You don’t want bland.
When the sausage is thoroughly browned but not yet crispy, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the pot. Leave behind as much of the fat as you can (add olive oil if there isn’t enough in the pan). Toss in your onions, carrots, and celery, and saute until they’re just soft and starting to brown up. Add in the garlic, and saute until it releases its oils, about 30 seconds to a minute. If there’s a decent amount of meat or veg stuck to the bottom of the pan, deglaze with a splash of red wine, using a wooden spoon to mix thoroughly. Add in the cooked grain, and stir to incorporate. The grain should soak up any excess liquid. Add in the meat, and then spice to your taste.
When it comes to spicing this, you can go either savory or sweet. For savory, consider salt and pepper, oregano, thyme, and sage. If you go sweet, start with salt and pepper, then add in a bit of sweet paprika (get a GOOD type like Szeged rather than using glorified red dyed sawdust like McCormick). Then stir in either a bit of maple syrup (my favorite) or some dark brown sugar. If you go the sweet route, also consider tossing in some raisins and dried cranberries or cherries for a delicious flavor burst.
Once the squash is ready, fill the hole with your meat mixture, adding an equal amount to each half. Top with cheese if you’ve decided on savory, or nuts and berries if you’re going sweet. Return to the oven and bake at 400F for 15 minutes or so, just until everything is hot through and the cheese, if used, is thoroughly melted.
Notes:
If you have picky kids who are likely to eat the filling and then ignore the squash, do what we did: cut the squash up and add the filling to it. Make it into a casserole! This way, they have to eat the squash to get at the “good bits” and you get to feed them well. 😉
This is one of those “do whatever you like” recipes that changes every time I make it. I’ve made vegan versions with Beyond Sausage, or with diced up vegan Field Roast sausages, or with tofu. I’ve made non-pork versions for friends who don’t do pig, and it’s turned out beautiful. If you want it to be a side dish, simply skip the protein entirely and stuff the squash with your grain and whatever veggies you have on hand. Shredded brussel sprouts are pretty good in this, especially when mixed with a Tex-Mex wild rice blend and raisins.
Enjoy!