Sausage and Apple Butternut Squash Recipe

The combination of sausage and butternut squash is a classic autumn delicacy. There are many stuffed squash recipes available that bring these flavors together. This recipe, however, offers more savory elements than most stuffed squash recipes do. Adding in the meaty flavors of sage and portobello mushrooms with the elegantly sweet flavors of apples helps bring a subtle earthiness to an autumn classic, making this sausage and apple butternut squash recipe a satisfying main course that’s perfect for a family dinner night.

Butternut squash is one of those vegetables that seems like it always ends up in a soup or perhaps even dessert. But, it’s packed with flavor and nutrition and sometimes I think it should be the star of the show. This butternut squash recipe is just that. It puts it front and center on the plate leaving no doubt what the main dish is.

Are you worried your kids won’t enjoy it? If the idea of eating out of a butternut squash seems foreign to your kids, you can totally skip putting their portion into the shell and just serve the cooked mixture to them in a bowl. They’ll still get all of the flavors and goodness of the squash and other veggies without having to worry about them turning up their nose to the stuffed squash shell.

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Ingredients You’ll Need for this Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe

• non-stick cooking spray
• 2 butternut squash
• extra virgin olive oil
• 3-4 cloves fresh garlic
• sweet onion, chopped
• 2 pints baby portobello mushrooms
• 1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
• fresh sage leaves
• 2 medium apples, I really like Honeycrisps but you can use whatever variety is your favorite
• fresh thyme
• pecans
• maple syrup
• 1 block fresh parmesan cheese
• pink Himalayan sea salt, or your preferred salt
• black pepper

How to Roast Butternut Squash

Roasting butternut squash is a simple process. You will need a sharp knife and a good stable cutting board. Here’s the step-by-step for how to roast butternut squash.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Next, slice the butternut squash in half lengthwise. If it’s too firm, you can pop it into the microwave for 2 minutes, which will soften the flesh slightly, making it easier to slice.
3. Once you have it sliced open, you’ll see the seeds in the circular part of the flesh. Use a spoon to scoop the seeds out.
4. Using your sharp knife, score the flesh of the squash by slicing partway through and making diagonal lines turn the squash 45 degrees and cut the other side making a diamond or square pattern as you go. Don’t score all the way through. Doing this makes it easier to remove the squash from the shell after it has cooked.
5. Brush or drizzle olive oil onto the butternut squash halves. You want a light coating of oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If you want to add extra flavor, sprinkle some fresh herbs on top. This recipe calls for fresh sage and thyme in the stuffing mix, so those seem like the perfect option. I sprinkled some fresh thyme. But you can use any herb you have on hand while roasting the squash. Fresh thyme, parsley, or rosemary are good savory options.
6. Bake for 45-50 minutes with the squash laying cut side up on a baking sheet. I like to place a few whole garlic cloves around the pan while the squash is roasting for an even more aromatic flavor.

How to Stuff a Butternut Squash

While the butternut squash to roasting you can prep your stuffing While the butternut squash to roasting, you can prep your stuffing mix. Use a heavy wide pan. I prefer to use cast iron skillets when cooking. Drizzle a little olive oil into the pan and set the heat to med-high. Once the pan gets hot, you’ll want to reduce the heat to med-low, to prevent the onions from scorching. Remember, cast iron retains heat, so you don’t have to keep the cooking element super hot the pan does the work for you.

• Start by adding the onions to the remaining olive oil and let simmer. Add the chopped garlic while you slice the portobello mushrooms. Be careful not to overcook the onions and garlic as they will taste bitter.
• Add the mushrooms to the pan and sautee until the mushrooms begin to release their water and start to soften.
• Now, add sausage to the pan and use a wooden spoon or spatula to crumble it as it cooks. Cook until the sausage is lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
• Next, add the chopped apple, fresh sage, and thyme to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until the apple softens.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the pecans (if using).
• After the butternut squash is cooked, soft and tender, remove them from the oven. Scoop out the scored flesh. Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees.
• Drizzle the maple syrup into the mixture and blend while gently folding the cut squash into the sausage mixture.
• Now, spoon the sausage mixture into the hollowed shells of the butternut squash.
• Place the filled squash back into the oven for another 25 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle the grated cheese on top. That’s it!

Now you can enjoy a delectable autumn dinner with your family.

5 Ways to Change Up this Squash Recipe with Ease

Maybe you don’t have all the needed ingredients on hand but still want to enjoy roasted, stuffed butternut squash. You can easily change up this recipe. Here are five ways to make simple changes to the recipe.

1. If you don’t have Italian sausage, you can use any bulk pork sausage you have on hand. Breakfast sausage or hot sausage will work just as well.
2. Don’t have fresh herbs on hand? You can use dried herbs. For the sage use 2 T. fresh sage for 2 tsp. of rubbed or ground sage. For the fresh thyme use 3/4 tsp of dried thyme instead. You can also swap any of the herbs for fresh or dried parsley instead. And, rosemary would also pair well with this dish. For a warmer flavor profile swap the thyme for equal amounts of cinnamon or a pinch or two of nutmeg.
3. Don’t love mushrooms? That’s OK, you can just leave them out or add similar amounts of eggplant or diced zucchini.
4. I prefer sweet onion when I’m cooking but you can easily change the onion to a yellow or red onion.
5. If you don’t have maple syrup you can use 2 T of brown sugar instead. You’ll get a similar flavor profile and that extra mild sweetness that pairs so well with butternut squash.

Are you curious about what you can serve with this squash recipe? With all the veggies packed in it’s already a hearty, healthy dish. But, you can add a yummy spinach salad on the side. Keep it light with a few leaves, chopped cucumber, and a drizzle of a light vinaigrette.

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Are you ready to dive into a savory bite of butternut squash? Give this recipe a try and come back and comment to let me know how you like it and how the kiddos enjoyed it too!