Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash - total time 40 minutes

The fun thing about eating more seasonally (besides eating foods when they're in their absolute prime and tastiness) is that you have something to look forward to every season which keeps your meal plans fresh too.  Now that we're halfway into fall, I have a counter full of squash begging to be roasted!  There are so many to choose from, they come in all shapes and flavors.  You might already have a few butternut recipes, but here's a new acorn squash recipe to add to your fall meal planning arsenal.

This is the perfect comfort food when the temperatures start to dip.  Sausage has that smokey flavor that pairs just right with acorn squash.  The addition of sage just completes the fall flavors.  Baking the sausage in the squash is super cute presentation that is great for a dinner party or a fancy Thanksgiving.  It's also pretty easy!  :)



2 acorn squash (photos only show one squash)
1 cup rice
1 lb sausage
.5 cup parmesan, shredded
5 sage leaves, chopped
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Carefully cut acorn squash in half.  Scoop out seeds and put in oven to start the roasting process (20 minutes).
2.  While the squash is roasting, cook one cup of rice according to instructions on the box.
3.  Heat pan to medium heat.  Add sausage to pan and stir every few minutes.  
4.  Shred parmesan cheese.  Add rice to the pan with the nearly fully cooked sausage.  Add half of the shredded parm and a little salt and pepper.  Stir to combine and remove from heat.
5.  Remove squash from oven.  Carefully scoop rice/sausage mixture into each squash half.  Top with the remaining parm and place back in oven for 10 more minutes.
6.  Once you remove the stuffed squash from the oven, serve immediately either still in the squash skin or scooped out into a bowl and enjoy!