Name: Acorn Squash Stuffed with Wild Rice & Sausage
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; ¼ cup finely diced onion; ½ cup finely chopped celery; 1 garlic clove, minced; 8 ounces of sweet Italian sausage, either ground or links with casings removed; 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice (about ¾ cup, cooked); 2 cups cooked wild rice; 2 tablespoons maple syrup; ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans; 2 tablespoons dried cranberries; 2 tablespoons chopped dried apricots; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley; 1 teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon ground pepper; 2 medium acorn squash, cut in half, seeds removed; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted; 2 teaspoons brown sugar

Mains

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Wild Rice & Sausage

Author: Mary DiSomma

One of autumn’s quintessential foods is winter squash… butternut, spaghetti squash, pumpkin, and of course, the delightful little acorn squash. Acorn squash is one of my all-time favorites—it’s perfect for filling up with stuffing. It’s also a very easy squash to cook with because of its manageable size and thin skin (that means it’s easy to cut in half)!

A Guide to Wild Rice

A nutty and rich addition to any meal. Cultivated wild rice will cook in approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Hand-harvested wild rice will take a bit less time, cooking in approximately 30 to 35 minutes. Generally, the darker the rice grain, the longer it will take to cook.

Yield: 4 Cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes 5 min
Cook Time: 50 minutes 50 min
Total Time: 55 minutes 55 min

Ingredients

1 cup wild rice
4 cups water
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Rinse the wild rice in a strainer under cool tap water.
In a saucepot, place the rice, water and salt. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
Cook until rice grains burst open and puff open. Cultivated wild rice will cook in approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Hand-harvested wild rice will take a bit less time, cooking in approximately 30 to 35 minutes. Generally, the darker the rice grain, the longer it will take to cook.
Drain rice in a strainer to remove excess liquid. Serve as a side or add to your favorite soup, salad or baked dish!

Tips

If you’re from the Midwest, chances are you or someone you know has planted a garden and enjoyed home-grown veggies all year long. You may have even heard of a Three Sisters Garden before—that’s when beans, corn, and squash are all planted together. These plants love each other and help one another grow better… and all three are indigenous to the Americas. This is real American food right here!

Fun fact: Even though we all think of acorn squash as a winter squash, it actually comes from the same family as summer squash like zucchini!

Whether you’re at the local farmer’s market or your favorite grocery store, the rules for how to pick the best acorn squash are the same. Look for squash that have a deep, green color with a little bit of orange mixed in. If a green squash has turned mostly orange, that means it’s been stored too long. Just like green peppers that turn red and orange as they age, acorn squash turn from green to orange as they ripen.

A good squash should feel heavy when you lift it. It should be firm to the touch and free of any soft spots. If you can, find one with the stem still attached. The longer the stem, the longer they will last if stored. Most squash will keep well in a cool place in your kitchen for 2 to 3 weeks.

Amplify that delicate and delicious squash flavor by adding some diced sweet potato to your stuffing. Want to save time? You can make the entire stuffing a day in advance if you like!