Harvest Stuffed Butternut Squash
Roasted Butternut Squash, filled with a stuffing of the squash, sautéed onions, dried cranberries, pecans, walnuts, arugula and feta cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash (cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed)
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
- 1 large yellow onion (coarsely chopped)
- 6 turkey breakfast sausage links (coarsely chopped)
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup pecans pieces (toasted)
- 1/2 cup walnut pieces (toasted)
- 2 cups arugula leaves (loosely packed)
- 3 oz. feta cheese (crumbled)
- 1 tsp. lemon pepper
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. dried sage
- 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp. red pepper-jalapeño jelly (optional)
Instructions
- Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and brush the cut sides and the cavity with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place face down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 45-50 minutes or until you can easily insert a knife into the flesh of the squash and the cut side is nicely browned. Remove from oven and cool.
- Once cool, use a spoon or knife to cut out the flesh of the squash, leaving about 1/2-inch all the way around on the remaining shell of the squash. Leave the squash shells, hollow side up on the baking sheet. Cut the squash meat into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet and sauté onions until translucent and beginning to brown. Stir in lemon pepper, sage, salt, and pepper. Add sausage and continue to brown. Once the sausage is browned, add the nuts, cranberries, half of the arugula and sauté for just a few more minutes, until arugula begins to wilt.
- Remove from heat and add the remaining arugula, the squash pieces and feta cheese. Toss all together and then fill the squash cavities with this mixture. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the filling and edges of the squash. If you are adding the jalapeño jelly, then just distribute it a little here and a little bit there. It will melt into the filling as it bakes.
- Preheat oven to 400 F and bake for another 30 minutes or so at 400 F, until heated through and the feta cheese is beginning to brown slightly. Serve hot.
