Apple Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash Food

SAUSAGE AND APPLE STUFFED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare the butternut squash by cutting in half (vertically), then scoop out the seeds. Bruch some oil on the squash and sprinkle with sea salt. Place flesh side down on the parchment paper. Transfer to the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the outside is for tender. Remove from oven. Set the oven temperature to broil.
• While squash is baking, make the filling. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Once hot, add in 1 tbsp of oil. Cook the sausage until no longer pink (about 5-7 minutes), remove the sausage to the side. Reserve 1 tbsp of the grease and keep the skillet hot.
• Now toss in the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add in apples, mushrooms, and celery. Continue to cook until veggies are softened, another 5-7 minutes. Now stir in dried cranberries, fresh sage, and the sausage. Remove from heat.
• Scoop out some of the butternut squash to create more of a divet to add in the filling, but ensure you leave around 1 inch along the sides to keep the squash stable. You can save the extra squash pieces and serve with the dinner, or use for something else. Evenly distribute the filling among the squash.
• Transfer the squash back to the oven once the broiler is ready. Broil until nice and toasty 4-5 minutes. Remove and serve hot with additional sage and salt and pepper to taste!

APPLE AND SAUSAGE STUFFED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Steps:

• Slice open the squash, seed, then rub flesh with olive oil. Cover and bake at 375* for 30-40 min until tender. Remove and set aside until cool enough to handle. Don't turn off the oven.
• Meanwhile, dice the apple into ½ cubes and set aside in a bowl. Stir in juice of ½ lemon to prevent browning. Dice onion into ½ in pieces and add to the apple.
• Heat a skillet over medium heat, then crumble in the sausage. Saute until no longer pink, and some spots are crisping up. Without draining off the fat, add in the apple and onion mixture. Season with salt, pepper, sage and red pepper flakes. Cook stirring for several minutes until crisp tender. Remove from heat and return sausage mixture to bowl.
• Remove squash in big chunks, leaving ½ of flesh in shell. Stir squash, 2 T butter and honey into sausage mixture, then pile mixture back into squash halves. Dot squash with remaining T butter, then return to oven. Bake uncovered until piping hot and crisp on top, about 20-25 minutes.

APPLE, BUTTERNUT AND SAUSAGE DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. Place squash and apples on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast until tender, about 25 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 375°., Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Discard drippings., Add sausage, celery, onions and carrots to pan; cook over medium-high heat until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are tender, 10-12 minutes, breaking up sausage into crumbles; drain., Transfer to a large bowl. Add 5 cups stuffing cubes, crackers, evaporated milk, soup, eggs, rice, sour cream, seasonings and reserved squash mixture and bacon; toss. Transfer to 2 greased 13x9-in. baking dishes. Lightly crush remaining 1 cup stuffing cubes. Sprinkle over tops; dot with butter. , Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbly and lightly browned, 15-20 minutes longer.

BAKED BUTTERNUT SQUASH STUFFED WITH APPLES AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Lightly oil baking dish.
• Half squash lengthwise and remove seeds.
• Arrange squash cut side up on the baking dish.
• Brush lightly with oil and cover with foil.
• Bake until almost tender, 30-40 minutes.
• Keep the oven on.
• Meanwhile, crumble the sausage into a skillet and cook over medium heat until no longer pink.
• Add apple.
• Cook, stirring until crisp-tender.
• Let cool slightly.
• Scoop out the squash, leaving 3/8 inch thick shells.
• Lightly mix the squash pulp into the sausage mixture breaking up squash as little as possible.
• Mix the butter, brown sugar, pecans, sage, salt and pepper.
• Pile the stuffing into the squash halves.
• Dot with bits of butter and brown sugar.
• Bake uncovered until piping hot and brown and crusty on top, 20-25 minutes.
• Let cool for several minutes before serving.