Baked Stuffed Winter Squash

This was a lot of work, but worth it. I downsized the recipe for two squashes, and used one orange acorn and one yellow acorn. I also used ground turkey instead of pork, a mix of chopped turnip, carrot and garlic instead of celery. I subbed a small amount of almonds for the pecans, but the recipe would be fine without any nuts at all. I thought the raisins were important. I did not need to mash the squash - after I scooped it, it blended in perfectly . I did add a dash of salt and pepper, and used store-bought Italian breadcrumbs. I topped with cheese for the final bake. This recipe is very forgiving and you could really make lots of substitutions or additions depending on your tastes. My husband and I enjoyed it very much.

Great Recipe! I used 2 buttercup squash and next time, I'll be cooking the squash in the microwave since the oven took way too long, and I burned myself on the water. I also left out the thyme and instead used italian style bread crumbs and added some italian seasoning along with salt and pepper. I left out the raisins, but felt the pecans really added some good flavor and crunch. I also increased the celery to 3 stalks, to add some more veggies and crunch. Lastly, I topped it with mozzarella cheese for the last 10 minutes of baking, which was good but next time I'm going to try some shredded parmesan cheese. I also think adding a cup or two of cooked rice would taste good and will probably try that at some point as well.

A good recipe. I will make this 1x/year. My husband kept saying: "It's interesting" meaning he prefers the traditional baked squash.

My husband and I loved this recipe. The only change I made was that I used stove top stuffing instead of bread crumbs and mixed a half can of chicken broth in with the stuffing. Yummy.

This was a delicious and easy meal! I didn't use the raisins or pecans because I didn't have any, but it would have been good with them. I'll make this again.

Super easy and really good!! Looks impressive with little effort. I left out the raisins, and it was still perfect! Will make again.

Great! I accidentally turned off the oven after the squash was cooked, but the last twenty minutes was sped up in the microwave. I also made my own bread crumbs by putting scraps of bread in the saute pan with some butter and thyme. I will be making this again!

This was awesome! I used less sausage, no celery (didn't have any,) added chopped apples, a sprinkling of crushed red pepper, and grated a little parmesan on top for last 5 minutes of baking. I also used the microwave to precook the acorn squash. Gotta say the photo almost scared me away from this recipe!

This is hands down a delicious and elegant recipe to serve during the fall bounty of squash! So easy but still so tasty. I omitted the raisins and pecans and was still delicious.

Sooo tasty. Instead of Italian sausage, I used Trader Joe's chicken sausage (garlic and asiago flavors) and it was wonderful. The pecans and raisins added a crunchiness and sweetness that totally made this dish unique.

I liked a lot of the ideas provided! Someone of my acquaintance (a man, of course) suggested a band saw! Well, I don't use those! But I found a relatively easy way. (I used butternut squash). Put the whole squash into a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes, then check with the tip of a knife; if the knife penetrates the skin turn off the oven, but leave the squash for another 10-15 minutes. Remove with pot pads or oven mitts; put on a cutting board and carefully cut the squash in half (use a large, sharp knife, serrated, if possible). Let the halves cool a little more, then remove the seeds and proceed according to your recipe.

I used this recipe as a jumping off point for my own version. I especially love the way the squash is cooked before adding it to the stuffing as it's just right to soften enough squash for the mix but not too much that the rind is too soft to stuff after. Here's what I changed: diced parsnip instead of celery lemon thyme instead of plain 1/4 cup shredded parmesan instead of egg chestnuts instead of pecans

Great recipe, although we left out the raisins. This was part of a meal to feed two vegetarians and two meat-eaters. We substituted Tofurky Italian (fake) Sausage for half the recipe and used sweet Italian sausage for the other half. It worked out great and was delicious!

I made this dish and was very pleased with it. The first time I made it exactly as described and my guests loved it. When I made it again for the family, I thought I'd save lots of time by microwaving the squash instead of giving it that 40 min. in the oven ... not a good idea, as it turned out, because the rind became soft and watery and fell apart as I was scraping the insides. I used chicken sausage, which worked out great the first time, but wouldn't brown evenly and was too dry the second -- same brand, too. Go figure. I also substituted dried cranberries for the raisins the 2nd time, and that was fine.

Just made this for dinner tonight and loved it. I made it basically the same, except I used Italian turkey sausage to cut calories, and I omitted the pecans and raisins. I didn't have pecans or I probably would have added them. I sprinkled a little parm. cheese on top the last few minutes of baking. I'm looking forward to having the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

If I could give this 10 stars I would. Definately a great alternative to the traditional way. My kids wanted more and more! I did not use sausage, but used ground turkey flavored with thyme, basil, garlic powder, and oregano. Delicious!!!

Excellent recipe! I substituted bratwurst for the Italian sausage and I've regretted it. The dish ended up lacking in flavor. My error, nothing wrong with the recipe.

This is exactly the recipe I was looking for when I received 2 beautiful acorn squash from my CSA! As popular opinion suggested, I subbed stovetop stuffing for the breadcrumbs and thyme. I also used Turkey Italian sausage. Other than that, followed the recipe to a tee and it was fabulous! The only thing I would change next time (and there WILL be a next time!) is to use dried cranberries instead of raisins, because I was really wishing for a tangy pop, instead of a normal sweetness. Still, delicious! I HAD to take and upload a photo because (no offense) the ONE photo for this recipe did NOT do this recipe justice! (sorry, original photo-submitter!).

I changed the portion for a serving for 2. Very easy to make and a very good, healthy meal as I used chicken Italian sausage And egg better.

I always make this recipe with kabocha squash and leave out the nuts. I also substitute the meat with soy meat for a vegetarian alternative. The lighter version that I make is sooo tasty that I make it on a fairly regular basis. Don't be afraid to experiment! I will say that leftovers don't taste as good as they did on the first day, but I love it anyway.

This is an excellent recipe - used ground chicken & added cinnamon and s&p - skipped nuts. Will add veggies next time - options are endless. Sprinkled a bit of Texas Pete on mine - Hubby enjoyed as is. Please don't let the photo turn you off! Try It - You'll Like It : )

Great recipe. We changed it though. Didn't use the nuts, raisins or sausage as we didn't have any. But did use spam and 5 people ate it all up. I didnt find it was that much work at all. Very easy

I used butternut squash and substituted dried cherries for the raisins... DELICIOUS!!! Everyone loved it, and I will definitely be making it again soon!

This was pretty tasty, but I do think I'll make a few changes next time based on personal preference. This was my first time eating acorn squash mashed and I found that I prefer it chopped, so next time I think I'll chop up the squash, add the rest of the ingredients and then bake in a pan in the oven. I did leave out the raisins because i don't care for those. I also like my squash to be spicy so I'll add some cajun seasoning to the squash mixture next time. I used a spinach and fontina chicken sasauge and it was quite tasty. Thansk for the ideas!

very good. I did change a couple things. I used craisins instead of raisins and maple sausage instead of italian.

I liked this recipe, but only with my adjustments, thus the 3 star rating. I did not put raisins and pecans in it. I think the pecans would be good, but my family doesn't like raisins in savory foods. We used an heirloom squash called Uncle David's Dakota Dessert Squash. It was very good, but because it was a little drier kind of squash, we added some butter to it at the table. It seemed to absorb all of the moisture from the sausage and veggie mixture. With my adjustments, I would give it a 4 star rating. Very good, but not great.

added some Hamburg - 1 Acorn squash - used the leftover meat on Pizza.

The filling was tasty, but the squash case didn't work well. Turned out more like a casserole.

This was a really nice surprise. I followed the recipe a little more closely that I might normally, because this was a completely new dish for me. I had one big change in that I used a large butternut squash instead of acorn squash, but the rest was pretty close. My wife and I loved it and are already planning to introduce it as part of a large family Thanksgiving feast later this month.

This was ok, but when you had a raisin in the bite it was better. However, it isn't as good as others we've tried. My daughter would give it a 4 if there were more raisins. Funny thing, when she first saw it, she said it has raisins in it(with a sad face) then she tasted it and said it needed more raisins. She really like the sweetness they added. I guess I'm comparing it to the Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe which is also on this site. Amazing.

Yum! Dont skip the raisins, they're a treat :) family approved

In one word, this was "interesting". I don't think that it was bad, but I didnt' end up eating much. My boyfriend said that he like it, but he is super polite about my cooking! I do not think that we will be making it again. Fun to try new things though.

Well, I can't give it 5 stars because I changed it so much that I'm not sure it's even the same recipe ... but it came out pretty good! I used 1 large acorn squash, 1/2 pound of breakfast sausage, a dash of cinnamon and a dash of cloves, an egg, and oatmeal instead of bread crumbs. I sprinkled the top lightly with brown sugar and put a few dabs of butter before the second baking ...

I’ve made this twice with different types of squash and loved it both times. Substituted ground flaxseed for the breadcrumbs because we are on a paleo diet. Also cooked the squash halves for 30 minutes not 40 and that was plenty.

Awesome! Just used crasins instead of raisins. Will be making many times more!

Bland, soggy.

Didn't use the celery or the raisins..... I think I will try craisins next time. I also think the thyme should be cut just a little. Overall, it was pretty tasty.

This was a wonderful weeknight meal! I made it with bison meat and substituted the celery for an apple. What a savory and wonderful meal! I totally agree that the raisins are an important part. We also loved the crunch of the pecans. This one is definatley going into the recipe box!

Delicious! But next time I'll add salt.

Very good base recipe. I made it with chicken sausage, replaced the raisins with chopped apples and steamed brown rice in place of the bread crumbs. It's pretty much a no-fail recipe, and super easy. Plus, it's a fantastically warm and comforting dish with great fall flavors.

this was a wonderful recipe! i didn't have to tweak it at all, and as my husband said....the secret ingredient is sausage! kind of like love!