Sausage, Wild Rice, & Kale Stuffed Butternut Squash
Happy October! Dietitian Claire here checking in. We briefly had a period of some cooler, fall-ish weather here in San Diego which inspired this recipe post today. Even though it seems we’re back in the middle of a heat wave, it’s still fun to start transitioning into the autumn spirit! It may not be time yet to pull out the cozy sweaters, but we can get started with this sausage, wild rice, and kale-stuffed butternut squash recipe that’s full of fall flavors and ingredients.
Some fun facts about winter squash:
Butternut, acorn, delicata, and spaghetti squash as well as pumpkins are all winter squash.
Winter squash are great sources of fiber and vitamins A, B, and C.
Beta carotene, an antioxidant that converts to vitamin A, is what gives these squash their orange and yellow colors.
Typically, you can store winter squash for weeks or even months in a cool, dry place thanks to their hard, thick rinds.
Squash are in the same gourd family as melons and cucumbers.
Trader Joe’s had all their winter squashes on display this week.
Now let’s get into the recipe. For the full recipe, hop to the end of this post.
Admittedly, this recipe is a bit more labor intensive than I’d usually like for a weeknight meal. I’m usually a 30-minutes or less kind of person. However, there are a few ways to spread out the workload to make it easier. It also reheats really well, so it could be made in advance, refrigerated, and reheated for the next meal.
Start by halving the butternut squash and scooping out the seeds. Make sure you have a good, sharp knife and be careful! They can be difficult to cut through and a little wobbly. Look at that beautiful color!
Brush the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake the squash cut side down for 15 minutes, then flip and bake cut side up for another 30-50 minutes, or until fork tender. This will vary depending on how big and thick your squash is. It’ll come out looking something like this.
While the squash bakes, make the wild rice. This will also take about 30-50 minutes. Wild rice tends to take quite a bit longer to cook than regular white or brown rice and will be chewy (but not crunchy!) when fully cooked.
While the squash and rice are both doing their thing, you can prep and cook the sausage and veggies for the filling. I goofed and accidentally bought fully cooked sausage instead of the kind you can remove from the casing, but it still turned out well! I just chopped it into small pieces and added it after cooking the mushrooms, garlic, kale, and cranberries.
You can also sub vegan or vegetarian sausage, like this one I found at Trader Joe’s.
Once the squash is done and cool enough to safely handle, scoop out some of the inside. Mix the scooped-out squash with the rice and veggie mixture, and use that to stuff the squash. Pop it back in the oven for 5-10 minutes until heated through, top with chopped pecans and pomegranate seeds, and serve!
I had a fair amount of filling left over. I plan to make sweet potatoes and use the filling to top them for another meal this week.
Tips for lessening the workload:
Bake the squash and make the rice ahead of time. You could have those ready to go and just make the filling when it’s time to make dinner.
Buy pre-sliced mushrooms, minced garlic, and shredded kale to save a little time chopping veggies.
Make this recipe ahead on a designated meal-prep day or time.
Make it into a harvest bowl by using pre-cut butternut squash cubes. This will cut down on roasting time for the squash.
Full Recipe: Sausage, Wild Rice, and Kale Stuffed Butternut Squash
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
For the squash:
1 large butternut squash (about 2lbs) halved lengthwise
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp kosher salt
Black pepper to taste
For the stuffing:
½ c uncooked wild rice
1 ½ c water or broth for cooking the rice
1 tbsp olive oil
½ lb fresh sweet Italian sausage, casing removed (or veggie sausage if vegan/vegetarian)
2 c loosely packed sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
½ tsp kosher salt
2 c loosely packed shredded kale
¼ c sweetened dried cranberries
4 oz container crumbled goat cheese (omit or use vegan cheese like Miyokos for vegan option)
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme OR 1 tsp dried thyme
Black pepper to taste
Optional toppings:
Chopped roasted pecans
Pomegranate seeds
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Bake the squash. Brush the cut sides of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place them cut-side down on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, then flip and bake another 30-50 minutes, until fork tender.
While the squash bakes make the rice. In a small lidded saucepan, combine the rice, cooking liquid and salt and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 35-50 minutes, until tender. Drain any excess liquid and set aside. It will still be a bit chewy when done.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Crumble the sausage into a skillet and cook until lightly browned, but still pink in some areas.
Add the mushrooms, garlic, and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring until the mushrooms are soft and just starting to brown. Stir in the kale, and cook until completely wilted, about 2 minutes.
Add the cranberries and thyme and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Toss with the prepared rice and goat cheese.
Once the squash is done, set it aside until cool enough to safely handle.
Cupping the sides of the squash with one hand so that it doesn’t tear, spoon out some of the flesh, leaving a 3/4” border around the sides and bottom.
Dice the remaining squash in small pieces and mix with the filling.
Divide the sausage mixture between the squash halves and fill to the top, mounding in the middle if there is extra. Return to the oven to cook for another 5 minutes or until heated through.
Arrange on a platter, top with pecans and pomegranate seeds if desired, and serve immediately.
Happy cooking!