Barley, Sausage, & Onion Stuffed Acorn Squash
I think acorn squash might be one of my new favorites. I’ve never really cooked with it in the past, instead opting for things like the super sweet delicata squash or my childhood favorite, butternut squash. I wanted to create a recipe that was both dairy- and gluten-free, that was really filling, and was perfect for late fall. Enter this Barley, Sausage, & Onion Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe. Cooking the barley in apple cider and cinnamon infuses the dish with a lot of flavor. The addition of butter to the barley gives it a creamy texture, reminiscent of a casserole. I chose the barley flavor infusion based on the flavor profile of my apple and maple syrup chicken sausage that I used. The flavors are incredible, and work really well together. While there is a little bit of work and multitasking involved, the end result is definitely worth it. This Barley, Sausage, & Onion Stuffed Acorn Squash is the perfect dinner for the long, cold nights ahead! 🙂
Barley, Sausage, & Onion Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 2 small/med acorn squash cut in half lengthwise, and seeds/strings scooped out
- 12-16 ounces sausage, casings removed if necessary
- 1 large onion, vertically sliced
- 3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped (can also use frozen)
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
- Freshly ground Himalayan pink salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 medium-large apple, cored and diced to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the 4 acorn squash halves open-side down on the baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the top of the squash pierces easily with a fork. Set aside after removing from oven.
- While the squash roasts, begin caramelizing the onions. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over low heat, and add all the onions. Stir to coat. Stir onions every 5 minutes to prevent burning. I like to add a little bit of water every now and then to keep them from drying out. Once the onions are deep golden brown, remove from heat and set aside in a heat-safe dish.
- Once the squash and the onions are finished, begin cooking and browning the sausage in the same pan used for the onions (you might have to add a little more olive oil).
- Add the spinach to the pan with the sausage. Cook until wilted.
- Make a well in the center of your sausage pan, and add in the garlic. Cook until fragrant.
- Add in the remaining herbs, salt and pepper, and the caramelized onions to the pan with the sausage. Stir until combined and then remove from the heat.
- To serve, scoop out the pulp from an acorn squash onto a plate, and top with the caramelized onion mixture. Top with diced apples. Alternatively, you can serve the caramelized onion mixture in the acorn squash half, and top with diced apples.
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OMG, that dish is so beautiful and looks so tasty. I will have to try to make it as soon as I am back home
Thanks for sharing, the recipe looks absolutely delicious & doesn’t seem too complicated to make
Well that looks and sounds absolutely delicious. My son is a huge fan of sausages so I always look for new ways to incorporate them. Thanks so much for sharing!
Jackie – Organised Mum Life
I’ve always loved the smell and taste of roasted onions and garlic in food. I’m sure that they add just as much taste to the squash. And I also don’t enjoy cooked apples so I’ll prefer them at the end but overally, this looks like a really healthy meal.
This sounds like some very yummy soul food. However, the temperature being in the 100 for weeks now, I need to wait till Autumn to try it 😉
I love the sound of the recipe here. I have most of these ingredients and it sounds like something my kids would like.
This post has made me hungry.. despite the fact.. . I am way past my dinner time. Like that the recipe is using many herbs and Himalayan Pink Salt which is good for health! Just added the ingredients in my next shopping list. Would love to try it.
That looks so delicious! IIt doesn’t look too hard either. I’ll have to try this! thanks for sharing your recipe!
I”m lucky I have chips with me after seeing this delicious recipe. Caramelize onion is my favourite and on this recipe it’s perfectly fit with other ingredients. I bookmarked this because I want to try the recipe.
I’m not a fan of squash, so I’m not sure I would like this dish. However, I’m willing to try anything once, so if I ever come across it at a friends house or elsewhere I’ll give it a shot 🙂