Oven-Roasted Apple & Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash

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This recipe for Stuffed Butternut Squash filled with a combination of sausage, apples, mushrooms, walnuts, and sage is an autumnal delight.

The humble squash is packed with flavor and makes for a satisfying main dish for the cooler months.

It’s a great dish to serve for fall dinner parties too.

For more seasonal food, check out The Ultimate List of Autumn Recipes for the Fall Season! Right-click and open a new tab to read next.

Stuffed Butternut Squash

The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions and to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required as well as understand the steps and timings involved.

This recipe for stuffed butternut squash requires a few different cooking steps, but the end result is delicious and well worth making!

The butternuts are roasted first and then the flesh is scooped out and added to a mixture of cooked sausage (see my recipe tips section in this post), apples, mushrooms, herbs and walnuts that is then placed back into the squash skins to finish cooking.

It’s one of those dishes that would be great to serve at a dinner party as it looks so fancy served in the squash shell. It’s pretty filling on its own, but you could serve it with a side salad and/or some roasted potatoes.

I’ve put down that this recipe serves 2 to 4 people – it will all depend on how hungry the person is, how big the butternut squash is, and if they could manage to eat a whole one!

This recipe uses American cups. They’re a handy piece of kitchen equipment to have along with a kitchen food scale. Having both in your kitchen means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog as I use both cups and weighted measures.

More Recipes Using Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is the hero ingredient in this recipe, so here are some more recipes using the same:

• Butterbean & Butternut Squash Biriyani
• Stuffed Spicy Butternut Squash
• Mexican Pork Stew with Black Beans & Vegetables

Stuffed Butternut Squash Recipe Tips

• You will need to cut the squash in half lengthwise. This can be tough to do, so use a good sharp knife and go through the bulbous section first and then the thinner top section, rather than trying to do the whole vegetable at once. Use a cloth to hold the squash in place for better grip.
• Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Don’t throw the seeds out though! Clean them of any pulp, dry, and roast in the oven with some seasonings for a tasty snack.
• This is an American recipe and uses spicy Italian sausage. Which looks like (what us Brits would call) pork mince or sausage meat. Essentially it is seasoned pork – just like the spicy pork you get on top of pizzas!
• From American recipes I have made and seen over the years, spicy sausage, sweet sausage, and [simply] sausage seem to be popular. This recipe uses spicy sausage, but you could use half spicy and half regular to reduce the heat.
• So what if you’re not in the USA and want to make this dish? Well, you can totally make it!
• You could buy some Italian sausages from a deli or supermarket and remove the meat from the casings to use in the recipe.
• Or you could make your own using either pork mince or sausage meat. Check the easy recipe below!

Homemade Spicy Italian Sausage Seasoning

• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic granules
• 1 tsp onion granules
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• ¼ tsp fennel seeds, ground
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp red chili flakes

Mix the seasonings above in a bowl and add to 450g pork mince or sausage meat. Use as required in recipe.

You could also double, triple, etc., the seasoning recipe and store in an airtight jar in a cool, dry place and seasoning meat as and when. It can also be used for beef or turkey mince.

To add sweetness, add ½ teaspoon of brown sugar to the mix. You can experiment with different ratios to your taste too!

How Do I Make Stuffed Butternut Squash?

Just check out the recipe card below with full ingredients, and instructions. You can print the card out too (don’t worry, the pics don’t print to save your ink!).

Continue to Content

Apple & Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash

Yield: 2-4

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

This apple and sausage stuffed butternut squash is a delicious fall dinner recipe.

Print

Ingredients

• 2 butternut squash, cut in half, seeds and pulp removed
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb / 450g spicy Italian pork sausage
• 4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and finely minced
• ½ red onion, chopped
• 1½ cup baby Portobello mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 2 Tbsp fresh sage leaves, julienned
• 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into small chunks
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 oz / 115g chopped walnuts
• 3 Tbsp cold butter, cut into small chunks
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar (optional)
• Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish (optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5 and spray two (13x9") glass baking dishes with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Place butternut squash halves in glass dishes, cut side up. Brush exposed edges lightly with olive oil.
3. Place both dishes in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the flesh is soft enough to scoop out with a spoon. (Actual baking time will vary depending on individual oven temperature, size of squash and how ripe it is).
4. Meanwhile, add sausage to a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, breaking it up into smaller pieces.
5. When the sausage is mostly browned, add garlic, red onion, and chopped mushrooms to the skillet and cook over medium heat for several minutes until the mushrooms are soft, stirring occasionally.
6. Add fresh sage, chopped apples, and cinnamon to skillet. Continue cooking over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until apples become soft, stirring occasionally.
7. Remove from heat and if necessary, drain excess liquid from skillet. Stir in chopped walnuts and season mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
8. When ready, remove squash from the oven and allow to cool slightly so you can handle them.
9. Reduce oven temperature to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
10. Remove squash one at a time from hot glass baking dish and place on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, trace a ½” inch border around the perimeter of each squash. Scoop out all of the squash inside the border and reserve the cooked flesh in a large bowl. Be careful not to puncture the exterior of the squash skin during this process.
11. When finished, return each empty squash shell to the baking dish.
12. Cut the cooked squash into bite-sized chunks and add to the sausage mixture. Gently fold mixture together until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
13. Spoon sausage mixture into empty squash cavities and top each with chunks of butter, brown sugar (if desired), and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
14. Place into the oven at the reduced heat and bake for 25-30 minutes or until filling is nicely browned.
15. Remove from oven and top with additional Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
16. Serve immediately while hot.
    
    

Notes

For less heat, use half spicy sausage and half mild Italian sausage. If you prefer a sweeter dish, simply add more brown sugar prior to baking.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 855Total Fat: 66gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 48gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 1020mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 10gSugar: 21gProtein: 29g

This site uses Nutritionix to provide estimated nutrition. Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.

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Make It A Meal!

You’ve made the main dish, but what about the rest of the courses?

Here are additional recipes to make a full meal!

• Appetizer: Roasted Garlic Hummus Dip Recipe
• Side Dish: Italian Roasted Vegetables
• Beverage: Pink Grapefruit Martini Cocktail (with Vodka or Gin)
• Dessert: Mini Blueberry Cheesecakes with Crumble Topping

There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too!

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