Savory Stuffed Acorn Squash | AIP Paleo Recipe

Welcome to Flawed yet Functional! Healthy food is my jam, some might say I’m rather fanatical about it! I wholeheartedly believe that eating whole, unprocessed, fresh food is the way to a healthy body and curing all kinds of diseases. My current diet is the Autoimmune Protocol plus a few reintroductions. With the temperatures outside falling, I’d like to share one of my favorite fall comfort foods that fits perfectly into my diet: Savory Stuffed Acorn Squash. It’s a hearty, sweet-yet-savory dish, perfect for a crisp fall night!

Right about a year ago, I was wrapping up two weeks of my first attempt at an elimination diet. The first meal I made after the two weeks was a sausage stuffed acorn squash. I was hooked! How had I never had this delicious gourd before??? And how did I not realize it fit into my diet??

Now with fall upon us again and acorn squash in season, I had to tweak my recipe and share the joy of savory stuffed acorn squash with you. If you aren’t an acorn squash lover yet, you will be after you eat this! It’s so good. My 3 year old asked for seconds of “only squash, please, no meat or onions (aka celery).” Ha! This is coming from my kid who would, usually, gladly eat only protein!

A couple notes on how to make this dish optimally before I share the recipe…

Fresh Acorn Squash

A quick note on acorn squash. Acorn squash is a winter squash which ripens in late summer and can stay on the vine until frost in September or even October. This fall time September through December is the best time to eat acorn squash. It will have the best flavor when it is fresh, and the flesh has a brighter orange color. While I do make acorn squash side dishes throughout the year, the quality of the squash is less from January to August. For best results, make this dish from early fall to early winter!

Savory Sausage

For this recipe, I used my homemade breakfast sausage. If making your own sausage is not your thing, then choose a regular breakfast sausage or one labeled “sage” flavored. Avoid the spicy sausage varieties. They are not AIP-friendly; although, the spice might blend nicely with the sweet acorn squash if nightshades fit into your diet.

Err On the Side of Over-Cooking

Acorn squash can be tricky to know when it is fully cooked, especially if your halves are not evenly sized. When in doubt, cook it longer. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this dish, served up my hubby the largest piece for him to say, “Hmm, it’s pretty good, but it’s a little crunchy.” Oops! Chef error! The flavors of the squash will be much more rich and full when it is cook through. So make sure it is very soft and brown before removing from the oven!

Try incorporating this delightful winter squash into your fall/winter recipe cycle. I love expanding my variety of vegetable intake and introducing new flavors to my family. Although not the fastest recipe to make, it is not difficult. There is quite a bit of inactive time as the squash bakes, so don’t let the timeline of this recipe scare you! Savory stuffed acorn squash is sure to be a go-to fall comfort food for you and your family!

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Savory Stuffed Acorn Squash

This is fall/winter comfort food at it's best! This AIP, Paleo compliant stuffed acorn squash is a hearty, savory dish that is full of delicious opposites: soft and crunchy, savory and sweet. It is sure to be a winner with your family. Try it today!

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine AIP, Paleo

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 8

Calories 340 kcal

Author Emily Stauch

Ingredients

• 4 whole acorn squash
• 1-4 Tbsp. olive oil for drizzling over squash
• salt, pepper, dried sage for sprinkling over squash
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 3 stalks celery chopped
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 2 lb. breakfast sausage
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. ground sage
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
• salt & pepper to taste
• sprinkle coconut flour

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450° and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2. Cut acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle olive oil, salt, pepper, and sage over cut side of acorn squash. Be generous with all. This is the only time to season the squash. Rub the spices and oil around the flesh with your hand to ensure all the flesh is covered. Place squash cut side down on baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes until very soft and browning on the edges.

3. Prepare vegetables.  Chop onion, celery, and garlic and set aside.
   

4. In a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil and saute onions until just beginning to release liquid. Add celery and cook until celery is almost soft. Add fresh garlic and dried spices and stir to bloom (fragrant), about 30 seconds.

5. Add breakfast sausage to the pan and brown until cooked through.

6. Once acorn squash is completely cooked, carefully turn over on the pan so cut side is up. Fill each half with a heaping scoop of the sausage mixture. Sprinkle with coconut flour (if desired, this is only for browning and looking pretty!).

7. Turn on broiler and place baking sheet under the broiler for 2-5 minutes or until desired color appears. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

**Each half of stuffed acorn squash has 24 net carbs.**