This sausage apple stuffed acorn squash is filled with savory sausage, sweet apples, and cozy fall flavors, perfect for cooler weather.
As soon as the weather starts cooling down, I find myself reaching for recipes that make the house smell amazing as they bake in the oven.
This sausage and apple stuffed acorn squash has become one of those meals I look forward to every fall because it's hearty, beautiful, and full of comforting flavors.
It has all the best parts of classic holiday stuffing tucked inside a tender squash half, making it just as fitting for a weeknight dinner as for Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving.
Whether you serve it as a main dish or a festive side dish, it's always a recipe that gets compliments around the table.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
The combination of savory ground sausage, crisp apples, onion, celery, sage, and Parmesan cheese creates a delicious stuffing with just the right balance of savory and sweet. As the acorn squash bakes, its natural sweetness pairs perfectly with the flavorful sausage mixture.
This recipe looks impressive enough for a holiday table but is simple enough to make for dinner any night in the fall.
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for measurements and instructions.
- Acorn Squash
- Olive Oil
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Salt & Pepper
- Ground Sausage
- Onion
- Celery
- Apples
- Sage
- Panko Bread Crumbs
- Parmesan Cheese
Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 Acorn Squash halved and seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 lb Ground Sausage
- 1 Small Onion finely chopped
- 2 Large Celery Stalks finely chopped
- 2 Apples diced
- ½ teaspoon sage
- 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1 cup Parmasean Cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease a baking dish.
- Cut a small slice from the top and bottom of each acorn squash so they sit flat. Slice each squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
- Brush the cut sides of each squash with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the squash cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of the squash, until fork tender but still holding its shape.
- While the squash bakes, cook the ground sausage in a large skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, leaving about 1 tablespoon of the drippings in the skillet. If needed, add a little olive oil.
- Add the chopped onion and celery to the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until they begin to soften.
- Stir in the diced apples and cook for another 2 minutes, until slightly softened.
- Add the balsamic vinegar, dried sage, panko breadcrumbs, and ¾ cup of the Parmesan cheese. Stir until everything is well combined and the cheese begins to melt.
- Remove the squash from the oven and fill each half generously with the sausage mixture.
- Return the stuffed squash to the oven and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until heated through.
- Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over the tops and serve warm.
Notes
- The baking time will vary depending on the size of your acorn squash. It should be tender enough to pierce easily with a fork while still holding its shape.
- If the stuffing seems dry, add a splash of chicken broth before filling the squash.
Nutrition
Helpful Tips
The size of your acorn squash will determine the baking time. Smaller squash may become fork tender in about 40 minutes, while larger squash can take closer to an hour.
When cooking the filling in a large skillet over medium heat, allow the onion and celery to soften before adding the apples. This helps develop even more flavor throughout the stuffing.
After adding the panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, stir everything together until the cheese begins to melt and the filling holds together nicely.
Easy Variations
This recipe is easy to customize with different ingredients.
Try Italian sausage for a milder flavor or spicy sausage if you like a little heat. Chopped pecans, dried cranberries, or fresh herbs also make delicious additions to the stuffing.
If you don't have acorn squash, butternut squash is another great option, though cooking time may vary with size.
What to Serve with Stuffed Acorn Squash
This recipe pairs well with roasted vegetables, green beans, a fresh salad, or warm dinner rolls.
For holiday meals, it also complements turkey, ham, or roast chicken. If you're serving it as a main dish, a simple vegetable side is usually all you need to complete the meal.
How to Store Leftovers
Allow the stuffed squash to cool completely before storing.
Place leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm them in a 350°F oven until heated through.
If you'd like to freeze leftovers, wrap each squash half tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You can prepare the sausage stuffing a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator. When you're ready to serve, simply fill the baked squash halves and finish baking as directed on the recipe card.
Absolutely. Ground sausage, Italian sausage, turkey sausage, or spicy sausage all work well in this recipe.
It can be either. One stuffed squash half makes a satisfying main dish for many people, while smaller portions are perfect as a side to a holiday meal.
Need Help With This Recipe?
Click a button below to ask AI how to tell when acorn squash is fork-tender.
More Fall Recipes
Looking for more cozy recipes to enjoy this season? Here are a few more family favorites.
Hi, I'm Katie!
I'm so glad you're here. Want to make something fabulous? I'm here to help!
Shonee
Wow, these look amazing! They are appealing to the eye as well as, I'm sure, to the pallet! I tend to get stuck cooking all squash the same way so I'm excited to try something new! Thanks for sharing.
Shonee
Http ://www.hawthorneandmain.com
Jess J
These are so delicious!! My husband and kids (10,12) love them too!!
Emily
Oh my goodness! These were amazing. I meant to leave a comment months ago when I first tried them. I omitted the onions to make it a little more kid-friendly but everything else was the same. (And maybe added a little parm!) Great recipe! I have it on the menu to make this week. So excited! My mouth is watering already. Thank you!
Jennifer
I just made these for supper and they were very good and fall-like. I did not have fresh parmesan cheese, only about 2 T. in the bottom of my container. So that was all the parmesan I put in in. Thank you for the recipe!
Stacy
Do you think this recipe could be frozen to heat up for a quick meal another time?
Katie
Hmm.. I've never tried. I'd be a little afraid of the soggy-ness. However if you do try it, make sure your meat was frozen previous to cooking it.
Suzanne
So I’ve frozen these and reheated them. They’re awesome and reheat super well. I’ll put one squash half per Tupperware and then I can grab a frozen Tupperware on my way out the door and microwave at school. So yummy
holly
do you think you could use ground beef instead of sausage?
Jennifer
I would think you could use Ground beef. The sausage seasonings go well with the apple, so that might be why that was first choice. Not sure about freezing these. I would be afraid they'd get soggy.
Rachel
I have frozen a similar recipe but freeze only the stuffing by itself. The squash is best roasted fresh
Crystal
It this Italian sausage or Jimmy Dean breakfast type of sausage 🙂
Katie
Yes, I'm sure that would be fine.
Roxanne (Rocky)
What kind of sausage is it exactly? I'd like to try this over the weekend. Thank you.
Katie
Made these tonight for family dinner...one word- AMAZING!! Although I accidentally bought Italian seasoned bread crumbs, it was still delicious ???? my 3 year old (who isn't a picky eater) loved them also! Definitely will be making these again!!
5 stars for sure ⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️
Carrie
My wife is a VERY picky eater and she LOVED these! I took the leftovers to work the next day and the whole office wanted the recipe for sure. This one is definitely a keeper!
Carrie
"For sure" should have been at the end of my last sentence. No idea what happened there.
Jenn
What about chicken sausage?
Kelly
I always use chicken sausage..comes out great..This time I used a hammer to help me get the knife threw the acorn sqush
Jen
This recipe was amazing! I do have to find a better way to cut the squash, I gave myself a pretty nasty cut while doing it. Even with all that, I made it last night and I'm already thinking about when I can make it again! So delicious!!! Everyone must make this. Your house will smell all warm and cozy and you will swear you are putting Fall directly into your mouth. I can't wait to have my leftovers for lunch!
Anonymous
You could try to microwave for just 1-2 minutes, just to soften the outer shell. Oh and wrap in a damp towel, (paper) keeps moisture in. This is just to take the hardness out of shell! Not to cook! Then cut.
Margie
Why don't you food blog! This way your recipes will be read by all and the amazing food tasted by many!
Margie
Katie
Aww Margie, you are too sweet! I actually used to share a little food, and then my sister started doing the recipes, and then unfortunately had to quit blogging, but I've actually thought about picking back up and doing a little more food. I know my husband and kids wouldn't be upset about that, lol!
Gretchen
There is a restaurant in Minnesota which serves something very similar, but with goat cheese and candied pecans on top. I was looking for a recipe to try to re-create it as it is a seasonal dish, only served in the fall and can'at wait to try this one (with goat cheese and candied pecans).
Gretchen
Made it last night and my boyfriend (not necessarily a squash fan) LOVED it!
Bonnie
These were really wonderful, we paired them with wild rice and a beet salad. Next time I would probably use more sage and possibly some nuts?? Great recipe, thank you so much!
Lynne
These were excellent. Lots of taste, healthy and satisfying. I used turkey sausage and added a little extra sage. I will be making them again.
Shirley Wood
This is going to be the year that I try acorn squash! Your recipe looks so good! Thanks for sharing with us at Merry Monday.
Cary Hill
I absolutely loved this recipe and plan to make it again and again and share it with friends and family.!m.
Joshua Mattiaccio
Made it tonight out of nowhere and my partner was just looking at me like huh!! I'm not eating that!! He had 2 servings. Thanks for sharing.
Beau
This dish was great. I made it with turkey sausage and added some red peppers. Thank you so much for the idea. Even the kids loved it.
Maria m. Cromley
I made these acorns and this time I added couscous with sausage and apple ???? pear ???? and dried cranberries with Asiago cheese and a hint of parmigiana cheese .. it came out delicious
Heather
This was absolutely delicious! My husband and I loved it. I used Jimmy Dean's Sage flavored breakfast sausage and added garlic. I will definitely be making again. Thank you!
Heather
This was delicious! I added garlic and used Sage breakfast sausage. Will definitely be making again, thank you!
NMA
There's a little bottle of something in the pics. What is it? Would love to know.
Fel
That is a balsamic vinegarette FromTrader Joes it’s so yum. I was wondering same thing . Is it supposed to be in recipe ????????♀️
Bobbi
Absolutely delicious! I made the last night. Picture perfect! We loved them. They’re big enough for the main coourse. I microwaved the acorn squash for 8 minutes instead of the first round of baking the plain squash—cut The cooking time way down.
Thank you for this nice addition to my dinner[ recipes.
Ashley
What kind of apples do you use?
Tracy Claassen
Absolutely LOVE this recipe!! Been a family hit for a few years now! We sometimes just eat the filling in a taco! Thanks for posting!
Katie
Thanks so much Tracy!! So glad you enjoyed them!!
Dee
This was EXACTLY what I was hoping for! Made it gluten free (added GF breadcrumbs) and it was perfect! Thank you!
Katie
Yay!! So glad you liked it!
Cindy
I made these last night. Well, sort of. I didn't have apples, so I used fresh cranberries, a bit of maple syrup and topped with goat cheese. Thanks for the inspiration!
Katie
Yum! I love goat cheese! So glad you enjoyed it!
Jenny
Loved it. Will make again. Thank you????!
Alyssa
This looks so good! Gonna make it this weekend. What kind of apples would you suggest?
Ashley
Delicious. I didn't have breadcrumbs so I used 1 c. leftover white rice instead, and it was fine. I had way too much filling (I think my acorn squash were on the small side) so I'm going to freeze the extra. I'll comment again when I thaw it and use it with new squash to let people know how that goes...I'm thinking it will be fine to freeze.
Emily
What kind of sausage did you use? Breakfast sausage? Italian sausage?
Holly Trigg
So delicious! This was my first time trying an acorn squash recipe and this did not disappoint 🙂
Cynthea Sabolich
What are paleo bread crumbs?
Brad Harman
I really liked the way the recipe flowed. Stuffing delish. My wife and I felt it needed a little sweet so we sprinkled a some brown sugar on the squash. It worked for us,thank so much this was our first experience with stuffed squash.
Stephanie
I think this looks fabulous, and flavor-wise it makes more sense than the version I’ve done which does not include sweet ingredients. I’ve got a bottle of balsamic glaze which I forget to use. Think I’ll drizzle it on top. Will also try some of the variations I’ve seen mentioned, e.g., goat cheese, pecans, garlic. I will suggest: do look for bigger acorn squash as it’s not a big cavity to start with. Thanks so much!
Michele
These rocked, one of the prettiest things I've ever made! I used apple sage sausage and cut back to one apple to account for it. I used gouda on the top instead of parm, because it's what I had. I made no other changes. I am going to make these again ASAP.
Megan
So good! The only thing I did different was I used long grain and wild rice instead of the panko. Totally didn't realize I was out of bread crumbs until I had already started cooking, and had to improvise. My boyfriend's response when I told him what we were having was "sounds healthy...". Then when he actually tried it said " oh wow, this has a lot of flavor". I could feed him the best meal ever, and he would say it "tasted fine". So it's really a high compliment coming from him, lol. Definitely going into the Fall meal rotation.
Halle
Phenomenal recipe! Will definitely make again.
Alex Coleman
Thanks Katie, Really this is an Awesome collection of photo. Definitely, i will try at my home today because of see this recipe & pic water comes in to my tongue. LOL!
Mohit Batra
They taste as delicious as they look in these photos. Thank you for a great share. Loved it!
Yvonne
Loved it. Hubby loves it. Thank you.
Car Cover store
This is exactly what I wanted to know before going on a picnic.
Kim
Sounds delicious! What kind of apple would you suggest?
Thank you!
Christine
Thank you for the delicious recipe. I didn’t have Panko and I’m doing keto so I used almond flour and they turned out perfect!!
Definitely going to make these again. A perfect fall dish
Kayla
I made this tonight and absolutely loved it! I used chicken sausage and granny smith apples. I'll definitely be making this again before the fall is up!
Shaylee
This recipe is absolutely delicious! My Mother-in-Law made it, and I was instantly hooked! So delicious, with a variety of flavors! I kept everything just about the same when I made it, maybe adding a little extra parmesan if anything. Such a winner, and it went right in my recipe book! Thank you for sharing!
Arthur
It sounds really delicious and yummy 😀
Husnain
It is really amazing and yummy 😀
Jacob
Amazing Katie..! This recipe look so delicious. i am really impressed that how you presented the recipe.
Thanks for sharing
Usman chaudhry
yummy! love your site.. love your recipes keep it up
FollowingFoxy
LOVED this recipe. I definitely had enough stuffing to fill 4 acorns.
Easy to make and very flavorful.
Jacob
Thanks for sharing
Joseph Red
Hmm. I have never tried it but seems lovely.. Definitely gonna try it soon.....
yummy food
WOAH, Katie, these look amazing as well as it tastes amazing! I tried it and my whole family loves it. love your all recipes! lots of love for you! keep it up 🙂
Fashionista
Amazing! Made these tonight for family dinner…one word- AMAZING!! Although I accidentally bought Italian seasoned bread crumbs, it was still delicious
I'll surely share your blog on my app XP Work Doku App
Nathan
This looks so yummy, going to do it this weekend!
Kevin
Amazing! Made these tonight for family dinner…one word- AMAZING!! Although I accidentally bought Italian seasoned bread crumbs, it was still delicious
KAt
wow this is an amazing.
Adriane
I think I'm missing a step--when do I return the sausage to the pan--immediately after I drain it? Or after I add the onion, celery, and apples?
florida
This was absolutely delicious! my family loved it
Katie Adams
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it!
Amber Elliott
This was absolutely delicious
Mina Liss
Amazing! - Amazing! - Amazing! -
kim
its yummy
David James
Thanks for Sharing! Just Amazing. I Loved it.
Grey
I first tried them. I omitted the onions to make it a little more kid-friendly but everything else was the same.
Melissa Phelps
Does anyone know the calorie per serving count for this recipe?
Maria
WOAH, Katie, I tried it and my whole family loves it. love your all recipes! lots of love for you! keep it up 🙂
Gary Kaufman
This looks very tasty and delicious. Thanks for sharing this really amazing.
WelderStream
Thank You Very Much for sharing wonderful recipe. I am going to bookmark your website right now.
Robert Steven
Thanks Katie for sharing! I loved your recipe.
Emily
Looks so yummy, definitely going to try it! Thank you for sharing.
Clara Wong
Thank you for sharing such an amazing recipe. 🙂
mahesh
These were outstanding. Tastes great, healthy, and satisfying.
The recipe looks delicious, thanks for sharing. Looking forward to many of your recipes.
smokersflare
Thank you for sharing such an amazing recipe. 🙂
Lynn
I’ve been making these every Fall for the past 4 or 5 years. I just made it today for lunch. It’s so good! To make mine gluten and dairy free I use almond flour in place of bread crumbs and pecorino in place of the Parmesan. I thought others might like to know a gluten/dairy free option!
Kathy Sortor
I added some bell peppers and spinach. Its delicious
Michal
My mouth is watering with this Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash. It was fantastic.
Ashley
I made this tonight for dinner and OMGoodness it was delicious!! I’ll definitely be making this dish again and probably soon. It was the perfect fall dish. Not only did my husband and I enjoy it but the three kiddos did too. Thanks for the recipe!
Paula
These were absolutely amazing. I used italian shaved parmesan and spicy peppers and onions instead of apples. Also I used part chicken stock and part tomato sauce. There are so many little Italian twists you can do to this. Whateva's in the fridge!
Ben
I am so hungry after reading your sweet article. Thank you
Bikini Bootcamp
I made this tonight for dinner and OMGoodness it was delicious!!
restore and renew
I made this tonight for dinner and OMGoodness it was delicious!! I’ll definitely be making this dish again and probably soon
Anonymous
Looks delecious
Tallia
Amazing and mouth watering
Shari
Looks amazing and delicious
Lauren Helfrich
I made this today and it was so delicious. Easy recipe to follow. Thanks for sharing and definitely will be making these again!!
5 stars ⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️
Watchasian
I enjoy this recipe Thanks
Teressa
Looks delicious and quite mouth watering.
Rohan Ramzan
Looks delicious i just like cheese......
Taniya
This looks absolutely delicious! I've been looking for a new way to make acorn squash, and the sausage and apple combo sounds amazing. Can't wait to give this a try dinner this week so I can eat during the roblox games.