• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free Email Series!

5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

Free email series of my best tips!

Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Free Email Series!

    5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

    Free email series of my best tips!

  • Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes

Rachel Cooks®

Easy Healthy-ish Recipes

  • Recipe Index
  • Popular
    • Instant Pot Pinto Beans
    • Green Beans with Bacon
    • Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
    • Roasted Sugar Snap Peas
    • Beef Stew Seasoning
    • Chili Seasoning Recipe
    • Thousand Island Dressing
    • Poppy Seed Dressing
    • Copycat Panera Squash Soup
    • Chocolate Chip Blondies
    • Instant Pot Pork Loin Roast
    • Frosé
    • Best Chocolate Cake
    • Dill Vegetable Dip
    • Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
    • Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
  • Learn to Cook
    • All The Basics
    • Crostini
    • Delicata Squash
    • Butternut Squash
    • Kabocha Squash
    • Spaghetti Squash
    • Guacamole
    • Croutons
    • Snap Peas
    • Baked Potatoes
    • Baked Bacon
    • Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
    • Simple Syrup
    • Pickled Red Onions Recipe
    • Toasted Pine Nuts
    • Roasted bone-in Chicken Breasts
    • Poached Chicken
    • Roasted Whole Chicken
    • Easy Cheese Sauce

Dinner Made Easy:

Slow Cooker

5 Ingredients

Grilling

Make Ahead

Sheet Pan

Tacos

Pizza

Home Uncategorized

Stuffed Acorn Squash (Farro, Sausage, & Apples)

4.42
/5
1 hr 15 mins
28 Comments
Jump to Recipe Video
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 10/22/2018Updated: 07/25/2022

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This Stuffed Acorn Squash is fall embodied in one recipe. It will become a quick favorite with its healthy mix of sweet and savory in one filling and satisfying recipe.

Stuffed acorn squash, with farro, sausage, and cheese, plus apples and dried cherries, is a delicious mix of sweet and savory. It’s a fall favorite!

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: Stuffed squash is so flavorful and nutritious, and it looks impressive, too.

How long it takes: 1 hour, 15 minutes but much of that time is hands off
Equipment you’ll need: baking pan, oven, large skillet
Servings: 6

Two acorn squash halves filled with farro, sausage, dried cranberries, apples, and cheese.
Table of Contents
open
  • 1 Recipe Overview
  • 2 About This Recipe
  • 3 Food Prep Tip
  • 4 What You’ll Need
  • 5 How To Make Stuffed Squash
  • 6 FAQs
  • 7 Make-Ahead Ideas
  • 8 Storage & Reheating Tips
  • 9 More Stuffed Recipes
  • 10 More Squash Recipes
  • 11 Get the Recipe: Stuffed Acorn Squash (Farro, Sausage, & Apples)

I’m so excited to share this recipe with you. It’s a favorite of ours and it’s a perfect recipe for fall when the markets are overflowing with all types of squash. Stuffed squash is a cozy and nutritious meal, and it’s not difficult to make – all the things we love about a recipe!

What is there about stuffing something that makes it seem like a special occasion? Maybe it’s just combining all those yummy foods together into one smashingly good dish, or maybe it’s the presentation. It does look kind of fancy and special because you went the extra mile and stuffed something.

There’s something about the combination of sausage and apple, sweet dried cherries, a little bit of sage, and flavorful cheddar, all in a cozy little package, that is pure comfort food. The best part is, it’s so filling, hearty, and healthy (and less than 400 calories per serving). It’s a win-win in my book.

About This Recipe

Maybe you think stuffed squash might be a hassle to make but it’s actually so easy! The farro can be prepped ahead so it’s ready to go or you can substitute quinoa, bulgur, rice or couscous if you happen to have some in your fridge or freezer. We love this stuffed butternut squash with quinoa, bacon, and kale.

Food Prep Tip

Grains such as rice, quinoa, and farro freeze really well after they’re cooked. When cooking a grain, cook the entire bag and freeze it in labeled bags with 1, 2, or 3 cup portions. It thaws quickly in the fridge or on the counter and makes healthy eating even easier!

I’ll get you going on the recipe here and give you lots of tips and ways to make it your own. This recipe is super versatile; you can pretty much stuff the squash with whatever you like. It’s easy to make it vegetarian or dairy-free. In fact, if you have both a meat-lover and a vegetarian in your family, you can easily customize a stuffed squash for each at dinnertime.

Look for the printable recipe card near the end of the post with complete instructions, measurements, and nutrition information.

Acorn squash half filled with farro, sausage, dried cranberries, apples, and cheese on a wooden cutting board.

What You’ll Need

  • Acorn Squash: This acorn-shaped squash is dark green with some orange blotches. It’s a winter squash and the skin is usually inedible. When baked, the skin makes a perfect bowl for the filling. The recipe calls for 3 squash and each filled half is one serving so you’ll have six servings total.
  • Turkey Sausage: Look for bulk sausage, that is, uncooked sausage that isn’t in links. If you are unable to find that, use link sausage and simply squeeze the sausage out of the links before cooking. Pork sausage is a good substitute, too.
  • Onion and Celery: These two vegetables add flavor and nutrition.
  • Apple: Apple really complements the fall flavors in this recipe and it provides a bit of sweetness as well. Any type of apple is fine.
  • Dried Cherries (or Cranberries): Actually, raisins are fine or even dried apricots. Use what you happen to have in the house or what you like best.
  • Farro: This ancient whole grain has a hearty, nutty flavor. It’s very nutritious. It is not gluten-free because it’s in the wheat family. It’s similar to spelt, einkorn, or emmer.
  • Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Any type of cheese can be used but cheddar really goes well with the other flavors.
  • Dried Sage Leaves and Garlic Powder: Easy pantry items but if you would rather use fresh sage leaves and garlic cloves, even better!

How To Make Stuffed Squash

Begin by scrubbing the squash well. They can be pretty muddy especially if you bought them at a farm stand. Cut them in half and scrape out the seeds and stringy pulp. For more specifics about how to do it, check out how to cook acorn squash (2 ways).

I like to take off a small slice from the bottom sides of each half so that the squash has a flat bottom. Otherwise they have a tendency to roll over, spilling out the stuffing.

Rub a little olive oil on the cut sides and season with salt and pepper. Bake the squash cut sides down for about 45 minutes or until they are soft.

You’ll want to get the farro cooking right away unless you have some already cooked. Follow the package directions. It usually takes 30-40 minutes, depending on what variety you use.

Meanwhile, as the squash bakes, brown the sausage and vegetables in a large skillet. Add the apples, and the rest of the ingredients except the cheese. Stir and cook until everything is warmed through and the apples are softened.

Once the squash has finished baking, all that’s left to do then is to stuff them. Fill each half as full as you can! Top each with a sprinkle of cheese and return them to the oven for 10 minutes or so to heat through and melt that flavorful sharp cheddar cheese.

Serve immediately. A crisp green salad is a good accompaniment, like this arugula salad with a lemony vinaigrette. If you want to carry on the fall theme, serve an apple cider mule (fall Moscow mule) or apple cider mocktails.

If you have room for dessert, try apple crisp with ginger or pumpkin streusel bread.

FAQs

Can you eat the skin of acorn squash?

The skin of acorn squash is totally edible but because it’s a winter squash, it tends to be a little tough. It depends somewhat on how it’s prepared. If you feel that you would enjoy eating it, that’s great, go for it! The bonus is that you’ll get extra fiber and nutrition.

What is better, butternut squash or acorn squash?

Acorn squash tends to be a bit more fibrous, making it a good squash to roast and eat on its own. Because butternut squash is smoother and creamier, it works well in soups and other recipes, and is very good roasted, too.
So which is better? It’s up to you to decide.

Acorn squash half filled with farro, sausage, dried cranberries, apples, and cheese. It is placed on a white plate.

Make It Vegetarian/Vegan

Omit the sausage. Use a vegetarian meat substitute, substitute chickpeas, or add sautéed finely chopped mushrooms. Walnuts or pecans are a nice addition, too. If you’re vegan, omit the cheese or add a cheese substitute. If you’re not vegan, go ahead and add a little more cheese. All of those are delicious options!

Make It Paleo/Whole30

To make it paleo, leave out the farro. To make it Whole30, omit the farro and cheese. Try adding chopped walnuts, pecans, or mushrooms.

Make It Gluten-Free

Substitute quinoa or brown rice for the farro. .

Make It Dairy-Free

Simply omit the cheese. There’s plenty of flavor without it!

Three acorn squash halves on a wooden cutting board filled with farro, sausage, dried cranberries, apples, and cheese.

Make-Ahead Ideas

As I mentioned above, cook grains such as farro, quinoa, and brown rice ahead of time and store them in the fridge or freezer. It’s so handy and saves a lot of time.

Bake the squash and prep the stuffing up to one day in advance. When ready to bake, stuff squash and bake as directed, adding an extra 10 minutes baking time since all the ingredients are cold.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Leftover stuffed squash can be stored in a tightly covered container and refrigerated for up to 3 days. It can be frozen for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator for best results.

To reheat, warm in the microwave in 30 second increments or heat in the oven at 350°F until heated through.

More Stuffed Recipes

Are you liking the idea of stuffing? Check out these recipes!

  • Caprese Couscous Stuffed Tomatoes
  • Vegetarian Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
  • Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers – Southwestern
  • Pizza Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
  • Apple Gouda Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Roasted Sweet Potatoes
  • Fajita Stuffed Chicken
  • Easy Crockpot Stuffing – perfect every time!

More Squash Recipes

Butternut Squash Crostini with Ricotta

Moroccan Stew with Butternut Squash and Chickpeas

Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon

How to Cook Acorn Squash (savory or sweet!)

Browse All

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Acorn squash half on a white plate. Squash is filled with farro, sausage, apples, cranberries, and cheese.
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Stuffed Acorn Squash (Farro, Sausage, & Apples)

4.42 from 70 votes
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
6 servings
Print Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Stuffed acorn squash, with farro, sausage, and cheese, plus apples and dried cherries, is a delicious mix of sweet and savory. It's a fall favorite!

Ingredients

  • 3 acorn squash, scrubbed clean
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 pound bulk turkey sausage
  • 1 small onion, diced small (about ½ cup)
  • 2 stalks stalks celery, diced small (about ¾ cup)
  • 1 apple, chopped
  • 2 cups cooked farro
  • ½ cup dried cherries (or dried cranberries)
  • ¼ teaspoon dried sage
  • ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, extra for topping if desired

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. 
  • Carefully trim a tiny bit off the top and bottom of each squash to create a flat surface. Then cut each squash in half. Scrape out seeds and stringy bits. Rub inside and cut edges of squash with olive oil. Sprinkle inside of squash with salt and pepper. Place cavity side down on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until fork tender.
  • While the squash roasts, heat one teaspoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering and hot, add the sausage, onion, and celery and cook until sausage is cooked through, breaking the sausage up into crumbles as it cooks.
  • Add cooked farro, apples, cherries, sage, and garlic powder and cook until the apple softens and the rest of the mixture has heated through.
  • Turn off heat and stir in cheese.
  • When squash is tender, remove from oven and carefully flip each half over. Fill with sausage mixture and if desired, sprinkle with additional cheese. Return to oven for 10 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Other cooked grains may be substituted for the farro, such as rice, quinoa, bulgur, or barley.
  • The stuffing works well in other types of squash such as butternut, buttercup, kabocha, etc.
  • Make Ahead: Bake the squash and prep the stuffing up to one day in advance. When ready to bake, stuff squash and bake as directed, adding an extra 10 minutes baking time since all the ingredients are cold.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 384kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 67mg, Sodium: 625mg, Potassium: 1100mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 1382IU, Vitamin C: 29mg, Calcium: 180mg, Iron: 3mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk
Did You Make This?Be sure to upload a photo & tag me at @RachelCooksBlog. I love seeing what you made!
Share A Photo! Tag on Insta Rate It
Free email series

5 Time & Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

Free email series of my best tips!

FREE BONUS!

You May Also Like...

  • Two acorn squash halves on a white platter, both have been roasted and seasoned with salt and pepper.
    How to Cook Acorn Squash (savory or sweet!)
  • Spaghetti squash full of bell peppers, onions, chicken and cheese. It is topped with sour cream, jalapeno, tomato, and sour cream.
    Chicken Fajita Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
  • Pizza stuffed spaghetti squash with cheese, pepperoni, and vegetables.
    Pizza Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
  • Three slices of roasted acorn squash on a blue rimmed white plate.
    Roasted Acorn Squash with Spiced Yogurt Sauce
Small oval shaped white bowl filled to the brim with roasted potato pieces.
Previous Post
Garlic Roasted Potatoes with Paprika
Black non stick skillet with glazed sliced carrots.
Next Post
Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots with Bourbon

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




The maximum upload file size: 1 MB. You can upload: image. Drop files here

  1. Becky B. says

    December 4, 2022 at 7:54 am

    5 stars
    Lovely

    We love baked acorn squash around our house!
    You’ve made the whole meal so much more delicious by adding sauteed sausage, onions and celery.

    Serving it on a nice platter or long and narrow dish makes it all more appealing.

    Thank you !

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      December 5, 2022 at 6:59 am

      So glad you liked it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!

      Reply
  2. DAN NORDLOH says

    November 15, 2021 at 9:52 am

    Made this with Sweet Italian Sausage. Going to make it next time with the same ingredients as a casserole. Using cubed butternut butternut squash in the mix instead of stuffed acorn. Bake at 325 for 25 to 30 minutes depending upon when butternut is tender.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      November 17, 2021 at 8:46 am

      That’s a great idea!

      Reply
  3. Susan says

    November 21, 2020 at 3:18 pm

    Can the squashes be made ahead and frozen?

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      November 22, 2020 at 3:43 pm

      I haven’t tried that but I don’t think it would work super well. I think it would have a negative effect on the texture and may become watery.

      Reply
  4. Michele says

    October 9, 2020 at 8:01 pm

    Oh wow! I veganized this with Light Life sausage and Simple Truth (Kroger) shredded “cheese”, otherwise staying true to this fabulous recipe. I topped it with a vegan parm. I’d never had acorn squash, but my husband had an old comfort food in mind. We both loved this. New flavors for me, memories of old ones for him.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      October 11, 2020 at 8:41 am

      So glad you liked it…and I love that it brought back memories for your husband! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, it means a lot!

      Reply
  5. Howard says

    September 10, 2020 at 4:57 pm

    Loved this recipe. Easy healthy lunch. I used ground turkey because it’s what I had on-hand (added a smidge of liquid smoke to make it more sausage-y), and omitted the dried cherries (partner not a fan).  Only thing I’d change next time is adding peppers to give it a punch (ie diced roasted red pepper or bell pepper). Delish! 

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      September 13, 2020 at 7:41 am

      So glad you liked it! It will be great with some peppers.

      Reply
  6. Candy says

    August 6, 2020 at 9:34 pm

    Love this recipe. Substituted with rice. Added sweet peppers. Used ground turkey because I didn’t have sausage. One half was a full meal for me. Will heat other half tomorrow. A keeper.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      August 9, 2020 at 11:16 am

      So glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!

      Reply
  7. Nancy DC says

    July 14, 2020 at 3:27 pm

    I’ve made this recipe, using variations like Pepperidge farm stuffing, with and without sausage, farro, or rice.  It all depends on who I’m making it for.  No matter what, they love the stuffed squash.  

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      July 15, 2020 at 11:04 am

      So glad to hear you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!

      Reply
  8. Tamara Franscioni says

    March 19, 2020 at 11:16 pm

    I so enjoyed making this recipe, which is so flexible in substitutions, but delicious no matter what! Thank you for posting this.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      March 23, 2020 at 1:12 pm

      So glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!

      Reply
  9. Viktoria says

    December 5, 2019 at 7:45 pm

    This was so delicious. Been trying to cook healthier for me and my partner recently. This was the perfect combination of sweet and savory. I served it with some roasted sweet potato fries and cranberry sauce I made earlier that day and it definently tasted like autumn. I’ve never tried farro before and I can confidently say I’m a fan!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      December 6, 2019 at 6:02 am

      I’m so glad you liked it! Sounds like the perfect autumn meal! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!

      Reply
  10. Cecilia Leffew says

    November 26, 2019 at 10:47 pm

    Oh my goodneses! I was not prepared for enthusiastic reaction my kids and husband had upon eating this delicious meal. I used brown rice instead of farro and a half pound of Italian pork sausage. I left out the sage (b/c I didn’t have any) and only a 1/4 C. of dried cranberries. We had never had acorn squash before. We ALL loved it! This recipe is most definitely a keeper and will become a winter time regular. Thank you for sharing it.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      November 27, 2019 at 9:48 am

      Oh my goodness, I’m sitting in a coffee shop working right now and your comment just brought a huge smile to my face. :) I’m thrilled you all liked it so much! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment, it really does mean so much to me.

      Reply
  11. Carrie Narow says

    November 6, 2019 at 6:38 pm

    This was delicious!!  I didn’t use any oil, used Italian chicken sausage, and white rice!  Fabulous!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      November 7, 2019 at 5:09 pm

      So glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! I bet it was yummy with rice.

      Reply
  12. Elizabeth says

    December 11, 2018 at 12:42 pm

    Beyond delicious! The whole family raved about it –already making it again tonight. I did add in some chopped kale with the apples and farro for added color and nutrition. This is a winner–thank you, Rachel!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      December 11, 2018 at 2:53 pm

      Oh that makes me SO happy! Love the addition of kale. Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment – it means a lot to me.

      Reply
  13. Carey says

    October 31, 2018 at 8:33 pm

    My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe.  I make one that has some similarities but this is a nice alternative.  I plan to keep this recipe and will definitely make it again.  Thanks!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      November 1, 2018 at 7:01 am

      I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!

      Reply
  14. denise says

    October 22, 2018 at 5:20 pm

    sounds wonderful, unfortunately, I’d be the only one to eat it.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      October 25, 2018 at 2:37 pm

      You could scale it down or serve the filling in a different way?

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Rachel! Life can be complicated, cooking shouldn't be! I believe that you can put a delicious meal on the table without stressing. It's possible, and I'm here to help. Have a seat at my table...let's chat, eat, and have fun! Read more...

Air Fryer Instant Pot 30 Minutes One Pan Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Slow Cooker Vegetarian 5 Ingredients

Trending

Cooked salmon fillet on a grey-toned plate with cooked asparagus spears. The salmon is being flaked with a fork.

Air Fryer Salmon – easy and delicious!

Pizza pasta being scooped from a pan with a wooden spoon.

Pizza Pasta – 1 pan, 20 minutes

Image of a giant bowl of spaghetti with turkey meatballs.

Baked Turkey Meatballs

Asparagus Panzanella Salad

Seasonal

Beef and vegetable stir fry in a black wok.

Beef Stir Fry With Vegetables

Hot honey chicken sheet pan dinner with honey being drizzled on.

Hot Honey Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

Sweet and sour shrimp lettuce wrap garnished with green onion.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

BBQ Chicken burrito bowl with avocado and sour cream.

BBQ Chicken Bowl

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window
Free Bonus!

5 Cooking Secrets to Save Time & Stress

Free email series of my best tips and recipes!

Featured On:

Back to Top
  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Work with Me
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility
© 2023 Rachel Cooks®
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled