Cool fall weather means all of the fun squashes are finally here! Dumpling squash makes a great substitute for acorn squash, and is the perfect size to use as an edible bowl. The dumpling squash is sweeter and heartier than its acorn squash cousin. These Sausage Apple Stuffed Dumpling Squash bowls will warm you up on a cool fall day. This Whole30 recipe pulls in all of the flavors of fall – apple, sage, sausage, cauliflower and squash. You can even eat the squash peel!
The Ingredients
Dumpling squash are round like an acorn squash, and are ivory in color with green stripes. The flesh is creamy yellow, and is sweet almost like a sweet potato. The edible peel is thin and delicate. You will find lots of vitamins A and C in these sweet, gorgeous squash.
The dumpling squash are stuffed with a blend of sausage or ground pork, sweet apples, yellow onion and cauliflower. The stuffing is seasoned with apple cider vinegar, fresh sage, salt and pepper.
Sausage Apple Stuffed Dumpling Squash for a Crowd
This is one of my favorite fall Whole30 recipes. It’s so flavorful and gorgeous. and easy to cook for a dinner party of six or more.
To make this for six, double the recipe below. Start by prepping all of the produce. Chop the cauliflower, onion, and apple, and set aside. Finely julienne the sage leaves, and set that aside as well. Next, preheat the oven and prep the squash. Cut a small, very thin slice off the bottom of each squash. Discard the slice. Cut just enough to give the squash a small flat circular base to stand upright on. Cut off the tops just enough that you can scoop out the seeds/stringy pulp. Set the tops aside. Note, if you want to roast the squash tops, set them aside and wait until later to put in the oven.
Next, roast all of the dumpling squash at once on a sheet pan. While the dumpling squash are roasting, cook the stuffing in a skillet. Once the squashes have roasted and the stuffing is cooked, fill each squash with stuffing. Return the sausage apple stuffed dumpling squashes and oiled squash tops to the oven, and roast for an additional 15 minutes.
Sausage Apple Stuffed Dumpling Squash
Sausage Apple Stuffed Dumpling Squash make the perfect Whole30 fall dinner for two or a crowd of six. They are sweet, spicy and filling.
Ingredients
Squash
- 3 whole dumpling squash
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Stuffing
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 lb sage sausage or ground pork
- 6 oz yellow onion diced
- 6 oz cauliflower diced
- 6 oz sweet apple (Ambrosia or Sweetie) diced
- 1 tbsp sage julienne cut in thin strips
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Prep a sheet pan by lining with foil and parchment. Set aside.
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While the oven is preheating, dice the cauliflower, onion and apple. Set aside in separate bowls based in ingredient.
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Next, prep the dumpling squash for roasting. Slice a small, thin disc off the bottom of each squash to create a flat surface that helps the squash sit upright.
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Then, chop the tops off each squash and scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp. Trash the seeds/pulp. Rub the inside and outside of each hollowed squash with coconut oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place on the baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes.
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While the squash is roasting, heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tbsp of high-heat tolerant coconut oil.
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Once the skillet is hot, add the sausage/pork. Break the meat apart with a spatula, and continue cooking until fully done, about 5 to 7 minutes.
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Next, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the diced cauliflower and cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan by adding the vinegar and scraping the bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the diced apple, sage and salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
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Once the squash are done, remove from the oven. Fill each squash with cooked stuffing, and return to the oven for 15 more minutes of roasted.
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Remove the squash from the oven, and carefully plate each dumpling squash. Use a flat spatula to help transfer from the baking sheet to the bowl/plate since the cut bottoms are soft once cooked.
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Serve immediately, and garnish with a few strips of julienne cut sage if desired.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts:
Calories: 610; Total Fat: 45 g; Saturated Fat: 14 g; Cholesterol 120 mg; Total Carbohydrates: 24 g; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 12 g; NET CARBS 21 g; Protein: 29 g
How adorable are these little squashes?! They’d be so impressive at a party!
Thanks! They would be so easy to whip up in a large batch, too.