Sausage & Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash

After a couple of warm weeks here in North Carolina, the cold weather has finally hit and it is certainly feeling like winter (at least for us Southerners).  When the cold weather hits, I want nothing more than to cozy up with a blanket and a big bowl of healthy comfort food.  This Sausage and Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash definitely fits the bill.

The acorn squash in this recipe packs its nutritional punch with its amazing concentration of carotenoids (mainly alpha-carotene and beta-carotene) along with a healthy serving of pectin (a naturally occurring fiber).  The high fiber content of the squash helps to steady the release of sugar in the digestive tract and helps to lessen the overall glycemic response to meals.

Be prepared…this recipe may quickly become one of your favorites.

Sausage & Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients (4 servings)

1 tsp Avocado Oil

2 Acorn Squash (halved and seeds removed)

1/3 cup Wild Rice (dry, uncooked)**

¾ cup Water

12 oz. Pork Sausage (casing removed)

2 Celery Stalks (chopped)

1 ½ cups Shiitake Mushrooms (chopped)

3 cups Baby Spinach

¼ Lemon (juiced)

¼ tsp Sea Salt

¼ cup Parsley (optional, finely chopped)

** for a grain free meal, remove rice and double mushrooms

 

Method

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Drizzle the oil on the squash and place cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork.

While the squash bakes, add the rice to a medium pot with the water and cook according to the directions on the package.

In a pan, over medium heat, add the sausage and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the celery and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the spinach and stir until it has wilted and the sausage is completely cooked through.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the wild rice to the pan along with the lemon juice and sea salt. Mix well.

Spoon the rice/sausage mixture into the baked squash and garnish with parsley (optional).

Enjoy!