The original recipe for this one had you making the sausage mixture and serving it in the hollowed out end of the squash, where you moved the seeds from. Admittedly, this looks much nicer than my mixed up smoosh of stuff, but it felt way too impractical to me – I don’t want to eat an entire half-squash-plus-stuff in one meal! So we’ve got the flavors of the original, but the looks of a pile of compost. Charming! The taste is what really counts, though, and my veggie-hesitant mom complemented this one multiple times, so I think it’s a keeper! It makes 4-5 servings.

Ingredients:

Squash:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice your squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Brush the cut half with the olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place on a baking sheet, cut-sides-up, and roast 40-45 minutes, until soft.

Meanwhile, heat the other 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and break up, cooking until browned. The meatballs I used didn’t break up as much as ideal, but it wasn’t a huge issue.

Once the sausage is cooked through, season lightly with salt and pepper, then add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion has become translucent.

Add the spinach and cook until the spinach has wilted/shrunk significantly, then add the apple and Italian seasoning, cooking another 2-3 minutes until the apple has begun to soften.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cranberries and walnuts.

When the squash is done roasting, scoop the softened flesh out of the outside and stir it into the sausage mixture, then serve and enjoy.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Sausage and Cranberry

Adapted a bit from Inspired By Charm.

Squash:

• 1 medium or large butternut squash
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper

Everything else:

• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 lb spicy Italian sausage crumbled
  
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 oz fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup apple, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup walnuts chopped
  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice your squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Brush the cut half with the olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet, cut-sides-up, and roast 40-45 minutes, until soft.

Meanwhile, heat the other 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and break up, cooking until browned. Once the sausage is cooked through, season lightly with salt and pepper, then add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion has become translucent. Add the spinach and cook until the spinach has wilted/shrunk significantly, then add the apple and Italian seasoning, cooking another 2-3 minutes until the apple has begun to soften. Remove from the heat and stir in the cranberries and walnuts.

When the squash is done roasting, scoop the softened flesh out of the outside and stir it into the sausage mixture, then serve and enjoy.