Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash

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• Why this recipe works
• Recipe Ingredients Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash
• How to make Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash
• Adaptations and variations
• Recipe FAQs
• Our favorite tools to make Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash!
• Other Related One Pot Meal Recipes
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Why this recipe works

When you look at the list of ingredients, you might think, huh, how is all that going to taste together. But let me tell you, it all comes together in an explosion of delicious sweet and savory flavor.

Sausage stuffed butternut squash is a relatively healthy and nutritious meal. The wild rice is a great alternative to regular long grain rice. The combination of the Italian sausage, wild rice, and butternut squash creates a hearty and satisfying filing but yet won't leave you with that heavy feeling that often accompanies hearty meals.

This recipe is not spicy despite using both curry powder and cayenne pepper. Both work to increase the depth of flavor and contrast the sweetness for a balance between sweet and savory.

Recipe Ingredients Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash

• Butternut Squash — Look for two of equal size so they roast at the same rate.
• Italian Sausage — we used sweet to blend nicely with the other ingredients.
• Seasonings — Fresh parsley, fresh thyme, and fresh sage; granulated garlic, cinnamon, cayenne powder, curry powder, salt, and pepper.
• Filling — cooked wild rice, sweetened dried cranberries, button mushrooms, and an onion.
• Maple syrup — this adds a bit of sweetness to the squash.
• Olive oil — to prevent the squash from burning or becoming overly browned.

How to make Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash

Step 1 — Preheat the oven to 400°F. Using a very sharp knife, slice the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and pulp and discard it. Do not peel butternut squash.

Step 2 — Brush the squash generously with olive oil then the maple syrup. Place on a cast iron baking sheet (or other large baking sheet) lined with either foil or parchment paper. This is an optional step, it just helps with clean up as the syrup can harden on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Bake until softened, can be 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how thick they are.

Step 3 — Slice open the sausage links lengthwise and crumble into a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the diced onion. Cook until mostly done, about 4 minutes.

Step 4 — Add the diced mushrooms to the sausage and onions and continue to cook until the vegetables have softened and the meat has cooked through. Drain any renderings.

Step 5 — Reduce to medium heat. Stir in the all the seasonings and herbs.

Step 6 — Mix in the dried cranberries and cooked wild rice. Stir well and allow it all to warm through.

Step 7 — Once the butternut squash has roasted, it should be only be lightly browned, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool slightly, enough to touch and cut. Remove the squash meat keeping the skins intact. Dice the roasted squash and mix it to the meat mixture.

Step 8 — Taste the mixture, add any more salt and pepper as needed. Spoon the sausage filling into the hallowed shells of the squash halves.

Step 9 — Return to the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Once done, serve immediately and enjoy these stuffed roasted butternut squash halves.

Adaptations and variations

Meat — Swap out the Italian sausage for country pork sausage (which we love in this recipe too) or kielbasa. Go lighter by using chicken sausage or turkey sausage. Increase the heat and use hot or spicy sausage instead of the sweet.

Rice — Cooked brown rice or white rice in place of wild rice is a tasty substitution. If being gluten free isn't an issue, you could also use small pasta like orzo.

Vegetables — Baby spinach and kale are great additions to the sausage mixture. Swap the button mushrooms for cremini (baby bellas).

Seasonings — Smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and ground chipotle pepper (instead of cayenne) are all tasty options. We used fresh herbs but dried herbs can be used instead. Swap the granulated garlic for minced garlic.

Pro Tip:

To yield 1 ½ cups of cooked wild rice, you'll need to cook approximately ¾ cup of dried wild rice.

Recipe FAQs

Our favorite tools to make Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash!

Lodge Cast Iron Baking Pan

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BuzzyWaxx Original Blend - Cast Iron and Carbon Steel Seasoning

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