Holiday Recipes 2019 - Stuffed Acorn Squash- Phase 3

You can use any compliant sausage here, but homemade is best tasting. You can make it spicy or more sweet, to your liking. 

Use up some leftover pre-cooked quinoa and you will have dinner on the table in no time. 

Stuffed Acorn Squash
Phase 1 or Phase 3
Makes 4 standard servings

2 acorn squash 
1T olive oil (phase 3 only)
1/2 lb chicken or turkey sausage (my recipe here)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
Sea Salt and ground black pepper
2 cups pre-cooked quinoa or for phase 1, brown rice (see note below)
2T chopped fresh parsley leaves

Cut the squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place on parchment lined baking pan, cut side down and bake in 375 degree oven until soft- 15 minutes or so. Remove from oven, let cool slightly. Remove parchment paper and line sheet with foil.

Heat oil (phase 3 only) in a non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add sausage and garlic, and cook until browned, breaking up sausage with side of spoon. Transfer sausage to large bowl.

To the same skillet, add onion, red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and cook over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned and tender, stirring occasionally; add to sausage in bowl.

With a spoon, scoop out squash, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shell. Add scooped-out squash to bowl with sausage; stir in rice or quinoa parsley until combined.

Spoon sausage mixture into squash shells; place in prepared pan. Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.

Note: In phase 1, this is only half a grain serving. You will need to add an additional half a grain to this meal. 

For variation, add diced tomato to the mixture, or nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor.