I got this yummy recipe from a blog I read, and I tweaked it to our likes and availability in the cabinets! My notes are in italics next to the recipe list. This is a great fall recipe that takes advantage of the great squash available right now! I'll be making this again!
(Here is the link: http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2011/11/04/fall-recipe-connection-savory-greek-sausage-stuffed-autumn-squash/)
2-3 acorn and/or carnival squash
½-1 lb. sausage (I used ground turkey and spiced it up with chili powder and such)
1 onion, chopped
½ green pepper, chopped (I was cheap and just bought one green pepper and used the whole thing instead of buying a red one as well!)
½ red pepper, chopped
2 large tomatoes, diced OR 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained (I skipped the tomatoes this time, but I think they would be great!!)
1-2 c. spinach (or more)
4 cloves garlic, pressed (I cut up my garlic and sauteed it in, a little different than she says to do)
¼ tsp. pepper
sprinkle of salt
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar (I didn't add the balsamic...let me know how it goes if you do!)
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese (I used some cheddar, Parmesan, and Swiss, just what I had around!)
¼ c. Parmesan cheese
2-4 Tbs. butter (oh yeah!)
1 Tbs. feta cheese (I didn't use this, but would have if I had some!)
You can read her instructions on her blog, but here's what I basically did.
Wash, cut, seed the squash (enter handy husband who did it for me...though I read somewhere that you can do this after you roast them for a bit. Might be worth a try, these suckers are hard to cut!)
Place squash facedown in glass casserole dish with some water (so that the flesh is touching the water, but not too much). Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes until skin easily pierced and and flesh is soft. (It took me about 30 minutes, I think it would have helped if I also rotated them part way through cooking.)
Brown sausage, add onions and peppers, saute until well cooked (5-8 minutes)
Add tomatoes and cook a few minutes, season with salt and pepper (though I salt and pepper at the beginning as well)
Add spinach and garlic together, and cook until greens are wilted (again, I added cut up garlic and sauteed it before I added the spinach...I didn't think the garlic would be well incorporated unless I cut it up...that's just me!)
Remove pan from heat. Stir in mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
Turn squash over in the glass dish. Place 1/2 - 1 tablespoon of butter along with salt and pepper in each one (Josh and I LOVED the butter flavor in the squash...I would probably add more next time. Hey, butter is a good fat...get the real stuff and enjoy it!)
You can cut these in half again if you'd like a smaller size. It's pretty filling! Also, these are GREAT heated up the next day as leftovers. They made a great work lunch for us the next day. How wonderful!!
I like eating the skin along with the sausage and the flesh of the squash...Josh wasn't so much a fan. He scooped it out with a fork. To each his own!!
