Sausage and Apple Stuffed Butternut Squash has all the taste of fall in one easy dish! Healthy, delicious, and full of nutrients.
Preheat the oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare the butternut squash by cutting in half (vertically), then scoop out the seeds. Bruch some oil on the squash and sprinkle with sea salt. Place flesh side down on the parchment paper. Transfer to the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the outside is for tender. Remove from oven. Set the oven temperature to broil.
While squash is baking, make the filling. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Once hot, add in 1 tbsp of oil. Cook the sausage until no longer pink (about 5-7 minutes), remove the sausage to the side. Reserve 1 tbsp of the grease and keep the skillet hot.
Now toss in the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add in apples, mushrooms, and celery. Continue to cook until veggies are softened, another 5-7 minutes. Now stir in dried cranberries, fresh sage, and the sausage. Remove from heat.
Scoop out some of the butternut squash to create more of a divet to add in the filling, but ensure you leave around 1 inch along the sides to keep the squash stable. You can save the extra squash pieces and serve with the dinner, or use for something else. Evenly distribute the filling among the squash.
Transfer the squash back to the oven once the broiler is ready. Broil until nice and toasty 4-5 minutes. Remove and serve hot with additional sage and salt and pepper to taste!
*Use a sugar free sausage for a Whole30 or Paleo compliant meal.