This savory Stuffed Acorn Squash with Chicken Sausage and Fried Sage brings together all the flavors of fall in one delicious, healthy meal.
When the air begins turning crisp, it signals the start of my favorite time of year: Squash Stuffing Season.
How can one not be excited about the opportunity to combine a limitless variety of ingredients and flavors in a tasty roasted gourd?
You can pretty much stuff a squash six ways from Sunday and still not exhaust all the possibilities.
This particular stuffed acorn squash recipe combines some of my favorite flavors of fall.
It is a delightful combination of the following ingredients:
- apples
- kale
- onion
- ground chicken
- fennel seeds
- nutmeg
- red pepper flakes
- garlic powder
- almond flour
- sage leaves
Acorn squash stuffed with all these tasty items makes an incredible Paleo and Whole30 dinner. It also stores really well, making it ideal for meal prep day!
How to Make Stuffed Acorn Squash
Start by trimming the top and bottom of each squash. Cut them in half horizontally and scoop out the seeds.
Coat the inside and outside of the squash halves in olive oil, and generously season them with salt and pepper.
Roast the acorn squash in a preheated 400°F oven for 45 minutes, or until you can easily pierce them with a knife all the way through.
Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add a pound of ground chicken along with some fresh sage, fennel seeds, nutmeg, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Cook until the chicken is no longer pink, about 6-7 minutes.
Add a diced onion and kale stems and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add some diced apple, kale leaves, and almond meal. Pour in some chicken stock and cook until the kale is tender, about 5-6 minutes.
Remove the squash from the oven and stuff with the chicken mixture. Dust the tops with a little more almond meal and then return to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes.
How to Fry Sage
This step is optional, but if you really want to take this meal to Fancy Boy Level, fry some sage leaves for garnish.
Simply heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat, then add the leaves and fry for about 30 seconds until crisp. Drain on some paper towels and season them with sea salt.
Remove the squash from the oven and garnish with the fried sage leaves. Enjoy!
Check out some more tasty Fall recipes!
Stuffed Acorn Squash with Chicken Sausage and Fried Sage
Ingredients
- 3 large acorn squash
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage minced
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 oz curly kale (about half a bunch) stems and leaves separated and chopped
- 2 medium apples cored and diced
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup corse almond flour plus extra for topping
For the Fried Sage
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 12 fresh sage leaves
- sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Slice the very tops and bottoms off each squash to form a flat surface, then cut them in half width-wise. Scoop out the seeds and coat the inside and outside of the squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Place the squash cut side up on a lined baking sheet. Roast for 40-45 minutes until tender and they can be pierced easily with a knife.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken, sage, fennel seeds, garlic powder, nutmeg, red pepper, salt, and black pepper to the skillet. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink, about 6-7 minutes.
- Add the onion and kale stems to the skillet and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the kale leaves and apples to the skillet. Pour in the chicken stock and sprinkle in the almond meal. Cook until the kale leaves are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the squash from the oven and stuff each half with the chicken mixture. Sprinkle some almond meal on top of each squash, then return to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes.
For the Fried Sage Leaves
- Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat.
- Carefully add the sage leaves and fry for about 30 seconds, until crisp (but not brown).
- Drain the leaves on paper towels and season with sea salt. Place two leaves on each squash half and enjoy!
Equipment
- Chef's Knife
- Baking Sheet
The ingredient or equipment sections above may contain affiliate links to products that I personally use or recommend!
This post was originally published on October 18, 208 and last updated September 3, 2020.
Marci
Friday 9th of November 2018
Just made this!! So delicious! Was nervous about the fried sage but had it so thought I might as well make it! Was phenomenal...the whole dish! Thank you!!
The Sophisticated Caveman
Friday 9th of November 2018
Yay! The fried sage really is a lot easier than it looks (and makes the dish in my opinion). So glad that you enjoyed it!
Connie Thunder
Tuesday 6th of November 2018
This looks phenomenal! You mentioned garlic powder in the walk through, but not in the recipe -- wondering as to amount?
The Sophisticated Caveman
Wednesday 7th of November 2018
Oops, I forgot to add garlic powder on the ingredient list (it was 1/2 teaspoon). Thanks for catching that!