Best Ever Paleo Stuffed Acorn Squash (GF/DF/Paleo)

I love fall recipes. I mean, I’m pretty much obsessed. So how did I come up with this incredible Paleo Stuffed Acorn Squash? Well, one of my favorite things to eat in the fall is paleo mock stuffing (stay tuned for the recipe). Basically, it’s stuffing without the bread. It is loaded with ground pork or sausage, onions, apples, craisins and pecans. I make it every Thanksgiving and it is always a hit! This is a faster and more simplified version, which honestly makes it even better because you don’t have to wait for a holiday to make it.

In 30 minutes or less, you can have these hot and ready at your dinner table. (For other delicious 30 minute weekday meals, go here.)

They key to keeping it at a 30 minute meal is choosing the right size acorn squash. If yours are too big, you will have to increase the cooking time by about 10 minutes. Not a big deal, but when you are in a rush on a weekday sometimes it’s just not worth it. Choose small acorn squash and be sure to brush the bottoms with some type of butter or oil before roasting for that perfectly caramelized top. This way they will only take about 20 minutes to cook through which is all the time you need to make the stuffing center.

I topped these grain free acorn bowls with fresh sage, but my kids hated it. They were fine with the ground sage in the recipe but they picked off the fresh stuff on top. Just FYI if you have picky kids. Both of mine thought it was fun that the acorn was the bowl and they could eat it. They also loved that I added raisins. Let me know what your family thinks!

This recipe makes 6 large adult sized servings (my kids only ate about a 1/2 serving each). We had a few leftover, so I stored them in the fridge and warmed them up in the microwave for lunch the next day. They were just as delicious!! So don’t be afraid to make the full recipe and have extra. You won’t be sorry you did!

Best Ever Paleo Pork and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

This is the best recipe for stuffed acorn squash. It's the perfect fall comfort food and only takes 30 minutes to make!

5 from 2 votes

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Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  

• 3 small acorn squashed, halved and seeds removed
• 1 tbs avocado oil or butter
• 2 lb ground pork or sausage preservative and nitrate free
• 2 small onions, diced
• 1 bunch celery, diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp ground sage omit if you are using seasoned sausage
• 3 apples, diced I used Fuji, use your favorite
• 1/4 cup raisins or craisins

Instructions

 

• Cut acorn squash in half. Scoop out seeds and stringy pulp with a spoon. Brush with oil or butter and put cut side down on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes (if you used a larger squash, it will take longer). Squash is done when it is pierced with a fork and goes through easily. Remove from oven and turn over (I had to pull the stems off of a few of mine so that they sat upright.)
• While the acorn squash is baking, make your stuffing. First cook pork in a large stockpot or pan over medium high heat until browned. Remove and place in a bowl.
• Add onion to the leftover oil in the pan and saute until translucent, maybe 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, celery and apple and continue to cook until soft. Add pork, raisins and sage and cook another 5 minutes for the flavors to blend.
• Fill each acorn half with the stuffing. Place under the broiler (optional) to brown the top. Sprinkle with a few more raisins and some fresh sage if desired. Serve in a bowl and with a spoon for scooping.
• To save any extra, just wrap leftovers and put them in the fridge. Heat the entire half in the microwave the next day. Delicious!

Notes

Recipe by Liz at https://www.thenutramom.com