Thursday Recipe - Sage and Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

Whoops. I can't read a calendar. Too much on my mind. Here's the recipe for this week:

Made as a casserole with sliced delicata squash -
Cook in a crockpot on low for 4-6 hours until tender.

I need to make this stuffing as just stuffing. It is so flavorful and tasty just by itself, but stuff it in the squash and it's beyond delicious. This makes a hearty winter supper or, if you can find some tiny squash, you could make it as a fancy dinner party offering.

For the record, this is a vegetable stuffing. It has no bread in it so if you're gluten-free, it should be fine for you. If you want a traditional stuffing, toss bread crumbs with the vegetables then add enough chicken or vegetable broth to moisten it. The vegetables have some liquid in them so don't add too much or you'll have soggy stuffing.

For the sage, I grow it in my yard as an ornamental plant. It has these really fun fuzzy gray thick leaves. And it smells really good. It also grows in places too dry for most other ground covers. If you don't have fresh sage and can't find it at the store, you can substitute 1 t. dried sage for 1 T. fresh sage.

Sage and Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

1 large acorn squash (about 8 inches across) or 3 small ones (3-4 inches across)
2 T. pancake syrup
4 large or 6 small pre-cooked sausage patties, diced into 1/4 inch cubes
1 small potato, peeled and diced into 1/4 inch cubes
2 carrots, peeled and diced into 1/4 inch cubes
1 granny smith or other tart apple, cored and chopped into small bits
1/4 onion, chopped small
2 T. fresh sage, chopped small
1/4 c. chopped pecans (optional)
salt
pepper
fresh nutmeg

Arrange squash cut side up in a baking dish. Drizzle with syrup. Set aside.

Mix together sausage, potato, carrot, apple, onion, sage, and pecans. Stuff this mixture into the squash halves. You can mound it up but try to keep it all inside the squash. (If you don't have enough stuffing, you can chop up more potato or carrot to fill up the squash. I had way too much so I let it fill the pan between the squash halves but it ended up burning.)

Sprinkle salt and pepper over the stuffed squash. Keep it light. Sprinkle just a pinch or two of nutmeg over each squash half. Be very stingy with the nutmeg. A little goes a very long way.

Bake at 375° for 35-50 minutes, until the squash is tender and top of the stuffing is browned. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Thursday Recipe - Stuffed Acorn Squash

from morguefile.com

I had a couple of little acorn squash on my counter and some hamburger in my fridge. So of course I went straight to the idea of making meatloaf and stuffing it into the acorn squash. It turned out very tasty.

Acorn squash is a variety of winter squash - it has a hard rind and pale yellow to dark orange flesh depending on which variety you buy. Look for hard squash with no soft spots. They should be heavy for their size and shouldn't rattle when you shake them. If it does, it means the squash is old and the seeds have come loose.

To pick a good meatloaf, look for ones that are not green on the outside and are firm to the touch. Ha! You don't buy meatloaf in the produce section, you should know that. You make your own.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

2 small acorn squash
1 lb. hamburger, low fat is preferred for this recipe
1/2 c. oatmeal
1/4 c. chopped onions
1/4 c. chopped bell pepper
1/4 c. barbecue sauce
1/4 c. ketchup
2 eggs
salt & pepper

Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds. Cut a small sliver off the side of the squash so it will sit flat and not roll. The seed cavity should be facing up. Set the four squash halves in a baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Mix hamburger, oatmeal, onions, peppers, sauces, and eggs until blended. Scoop the meatloaf into the acorn squash. Don't mound it too high. You should only need about the half the meatloaf mixture. Pile the rest of the meatloaf in a mound in the middle of the dish. You'll have four stuffed squash halves plus a small meatloaf in the pan.

Bake at 375° for 45-55 minutes, until squash is tender and meatloaf is cooked through.

Makes 4-6 servings.

This goes great with mashed potatoes and a green salad.

Thursday Recipe - Stuffed Zucchini

I'm noticing a trend with my recipes. Almost every one I post is a dessert. I love desserts, cookies especially. I also love fresh produce, picked from my backyard. But I discovered several years ago that I have a black thumb. I kill plants just by looking at them. This year, we have tomatoes, peppers, radishes, beans, eggplant, and popcorn. I think it's because I had nothing to do with planting them. My youngest daughter did. She can charm anything.

The one thing we can't get to grow in our yard is zucchini. My neighbors think I'm weird when I go begging for their extra zucchini. If you've ever grown it, you understand. Forget the zombie apocalypse; it's the zucchini apocalypse I'm worried about!

Anyway, here's one of my favorite ways to cook those really big zucchini you always find the day after you just picked the plants clean.

Stuffed Zucchini

1 large zucchini (at least 12 inches long)
2 T. real butter, melted
1 t. garlic salt
4 c. garlic croutons
1 c. sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

Split zucchini lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Discard the seeds. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the zucchini, cut side up, on the sheet. Brush zucchini halves with butter and sprinkle with garlic salt. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes, until squash begins to soften.

Meanwhile, lightly crush croutons until they are coarse crumbs. Toss croutons and cheese together. Fill the centers of the zucchini, mounding filling onto the cut sides of the squash. Bake another 15 - 20 minutes until the squash is tender and cheese is melted.

Slice each half into 6 - 8 pieces to serve. The skin of such a large squash may be too tough to eat, but the rest is delicious.