Sausage, Pecan And Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash - cooking recipe

Ingredients

SQUASH
2 acorn squash, halved and seeded
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
STUFFING
1/2 lb pork sausage (sage, maple, hot, whatever you like best!)
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped (I used Gala)
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated (and more to top stuffing)
1/2 cup almond meal
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange squash cut side up in a 9x13 pan and pierce all over the flesh, without breaking the rind, using a fork or butter knife. Combine the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, garlic salt and pepper; brush over cut sides and cavity of squash. Spoon the rest of the butter mixture evenly into the cavities of the squash.
Bake in a large roasting pan until squash is tender yet still holds its shape, about 1 hour.
To make the stuffing, cook sausage over medium-high heat in a large pan until light brown, breaking up into small pieces. Set pork aside in a large bowl. If there are not enough drippings, add 1 tablespoons olive oil to the pan. Add onion, celery and pecans; saute 5-7 minutes or until softened. Stir in apple, sage, cayenne, salt and pepper and saute 3-4 more minutes, or until apple is softened.
Add vegetable mixture to bowl with sausage and stir to combine. Pour any remaining butter mixture from squash cavities into the stuffing. Add parmesan and almond meal and stir again. Taste and season with sage, cayenne, salt or pepper if needed (depending on your sausage you may not want to add more seasoning).
Stir in the egg and parsley.
Fill the squash halves with stuffing; they should be slightly mounded. Sprinkle generously with parmesan. Put pan in oven, then pour 1 cup water carefully between the squash into the pan.
Return to oven and bake, covered, for 20 to 25 more minutes, or until the top of the stuffing is lightly browned.
Enjoy!