Sweet and Savory combine in this Squash with Brown Rice and Turkey Sausage dish.
This delightful meal hits all the right buttons; it’s easy, fast, healthy, and delicious. Microwaving the acorn squash before it’s filled substantially reduces the total baking time. While that’s happening, it’s a cinch to cook up the Italian turkey sausage and veggies. Toss these ingredients together with a packet of precooked brown rice, pile everything into the squash halves, and pop in the oven for 20 minutes. Another easy, peasy, tasty dinner is on the table!
Back Story
Technically, it’s still summer, but September conjures thoughts of fall flavors. So I started poking around and found a delectable collection of recipes on the Good Housekeeping website. There were many options to choose from. But this one caught my eye because I love stuffing veggies with flavorful concoctions. And what screams fall more loudly than the sweet little acorn squash?
Portion Disclaimer – Since I am a party of one, I cut this dish in half. That’s why there are only two squash halves pictured.
Sausage with Brown Rice and Turkey Sausage
Tips and Tricks
Squash Cutting Technique – I managed to cut my squash in half with my large chef’s knife. But it took some maneuvering, and cutting squash can be a risky affair for one’s fingers.
Here’s a tip that makes slicing the squash easier. Microwave the whole squash for 3-5 minutes, and then let it cool for a few minutes. Next, halve the squash, scoop out the seeds, and finish microwaving it. If you use this technique, decrease your total microwave time by the number of minutes used for this initial step.
More Spice is Nice – My Italian turkey didn’t specify if it was sweet or hot. So, as a fan of flavor, I decided to add some Italian herb spice blend and crushed fennel seed (I’m a huge fan of fennel!) You can also increase the heat by adding crushed red pepper.
Fresh herbs – The original recipe called for parsley, but I added fresh chopped basil because I still had some in the garden. You can opt for just parsley if you prefer.
Pump It Up with Parmesan – after taking the “official photos.” I had the inspiration to scatter some Parmesan on the squash. I loved how the salty Parm offset the sweetness of the squash. I suggest adding some shaved or shredded Parmesan during the last few minutes of baking time to enhance the melting process.
Additional Stuffed Veggie Recipes
Here are a few more of my favorite stuffed vegetable recipes.
Squash with Brown Rice and Turkey Sausage
Ingredients
- 2 acorn squash about 2 1/2 pounds, halved and seeds removed
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 lb. ground Italian turkey or chicken sausage sweet or hot
- 1 tsp. dry Italian seasoning optional
- 1/2 tsp. crushed fennel seed optional
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 medium red pepper chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 package precooked whole-grain brown rice
- 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil or you can use 2 tbsp or parsley
- Shredded or shaved Parmesan optional
Instructions
- Lightly grease a microwave-safe dish; place squash halves, cut sides down in the dish. Cook squash in microwave on High 8 to 9 minutes or until fork-tender; set aside until cool enough to handle.
- While the squash is cooking, heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
- In a nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat and cook sausage, Italian seasoning and fennel seed until sausage is browned, while crumbling it into small pieces. Remove sausage and place in a large bowl.
- Add a little more oil if needed. Add onion and red pepper, season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Tip: I covered the pan for the last few minutes to help soften the veggies. Add cooked vegetables to the bowl.
- Scoop out squash, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shell. Add scooped-out squash to bowl with sausage, vegetables, parsley and basil (if using.) Stir in rice, combining all ingredients (it is unnecessary to heat rice as label directs.)
- Spoon sausage mixture into squash shells; tent with foil, and place in prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through. If adding Parmesan, add during the last few minutes. Top with additional chopped herbs, if desired. Enjoy!
This was a delicious recipe. I did tweak it a bit because I was to lazy to go to the store. I used hamburger and spiced it up like sausage. Also swapped basmati rice for the brown rice.I will definitely make it again. Thanks Cathā£
That’s called cooking in the real world – combining inspiration and whatever ingredients we can find on hand. š