Naturally sweet acorn squash meets salty breakfast sausage, walnuts, molasses and apple cider for a super-easy, satisfying crockpot meal. All you need to round out this hearty one-pot dish is a green salad and some dinner rolls.
Check out my full video demonstration for this recipe as part of The Virginia Farm Bureau's bi-monthly cooking show "Heart of the Home". I've also pasted the recipe below. Enjoy!
Crockpot Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe
Serves 4-6
2 medium acorn squash
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 pound sage breakfast sausage
½ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup plain breadcrumbs
¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 large egg, beaten
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup molasses
½ cup apple cider or apple juice
Slice stems off the squash, and scoop out the seeds. Slice off a small piece from the bottom of each squash so it will sit level in your slow cooker. Brush the edges and insides of each squash with olive oil.
In a sauté pan crumble and brown the sausage. Drain the sausage, and place it in a large bowl. Remove half of the drippings from the pan, and then cook the onion and garlic in the remaining fat until softened. Add the onion and garlic to the sausage. Mix in breadcrumbs, walnuts, egg, salt and pepper. Fill the squash with the sausage mixture.
Use cooking spray to coat a piece of heavy-duty foil that’s large enough to cover the whole inside of your slow cooker. Place the squash cut side up on the foil and brush the exposed flesh with the molasses. Pour the cider down the sides of the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
Remove squash to a cutting board by lifting it up by the foil, and cut in halves or quarters. Serve as a side dish, or as a main dish with a green salad and rolls.
Serves 4-6
2 medium acorn squash
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 pound sage breakfast sausage
½ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup plain breadcrumbs
¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 large egg, beaten
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup molasses
½ cup apple cider or apple juice
Slice stems off the squash, and scoop out the seeds. Slice off a small piece from the bottom of each squash so it will sit level in your slow cooker. Brush the edges and insides of each squash with olive oil.
In a sauté pan crumble and brown the sausage. Drain the sausage, and place it in a large bowl. Remove half of the drippings from the pan, and then cook the onion and garlic in the remaining fat until softened. Add the onion and garlic to the sausage. Mix in breadcrumbs, walnuts, egg, salt and pepper. Fill the squash with the sausage mixture.
Use cooking spray to coat a piece of heavy-duty foil that’s large enough to cover the whole inside of your slow cooker. Place the squash cut side up on the foil and brush the exposed flesh with the molasses. Pour the cider down the sides of the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
Remove squash to a cutting board by lifting it up by the foil, and cut in halves or quarters. Serve as a side dish, or as a main dish with a green salad and rolls.
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