Stuffed Acorn Squash

(source)

Iowa Girl Eats posted a similar recipe last October and 'tis the season for sausage and winter squash! I wanted to make a healthier version and was more than satisfied at the outcome considering we use sunflower seed sprouted wheat bread.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

6 slices of bread

2 acorn squash

1 pound chicken Italian sausage

1 small apple

3 stalks celery

1/2 onion

1 t no salt seasoning*

1/2 t celery seed*

1 c. hot chicken broth

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cube bread, place on baking sheet, spray with canola oil spray and bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. Cut acorn squash in half, place on baking sheet cut side up, spray heavily with canola oil spray and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until soft.

4. Squeeze the sausage out of the casing and into a pan. Cook meat and break into small pieces. While the sausage is cooking, diced the apple, celery and onion. When the meat is cooked, spoon onto paper towels to drain fat. Pour the majority of the fat out of the pan, leaving the pan "wet" but not full of sausage fat. Then place apple, celery, onion and spices into the pan and cook until tender. Add a little bit of EVOO to the pan if needed.

5. Break the bread chunks with your hands or place in food processor and pulse. Add meat and veggie mixture. Pour in 1 cup of hot chicken broth into the stuffing and stir. Add additional broth as needed until the stuffing is as wet as you prefer.

6. Now you have two different choices:

- If the squash is still in the oven, pull it out, spoon stuffing into squash and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Make sure the squash is cooked before you take it out to serve.

- Pour the stuffing into a greased pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes and then serve it on top of the squash.

Notes:

*I would recommend 1 teaspoon dried sage, 1/2 t teaspoon dried rosemary & 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme. I, however, was out of all three.