Sausage & Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

Step 1: For the squash...After cleaning the squash, brush the flesh side with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the squash flesh side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil and bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. Then flip the squash over, brush the flesh side of the squash with the maple syrup, and continue to bake another 10-15 minutes until ALMOST fork tender - soft but not quite done.

Step 2: Filling....As the squash cooks, you want to prepare the filling. Now, turkey or chicken sausage is not as fatty as a pork sausage so you need a little moisture with the addition of the butter. However, if using a pork sausage, you will not need as much butter as the pork sausage contains more fat. I used turkey or chicken sausage, but there are tons of different flavored sausages available these days.

Step 3: Saute ... Add the butter to a medium saute pan and bring to medium high heat. Remove the sausage from the casing and add to the pan, breaking it up as it cooks. Half way through cooking add, the onion, celery, and apple and cook until the vegetables are tender and the sausage is no longer pink. Stir in the cranberries, cooked rice, and fresh sage - and season with salt and pepper if necessary.

Step 4: Stuff ... Remove the squash from the oven and stuff with the sausage mixture - pile it in high. If there is any leftover stuffing, freeze it - it is wonderful in chicken or pork chops. Add back in the oven for another 10 minutes, then top with the cheese and cook another 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Step 5: Serve ... A simple spinach salad with blue cheese, onions and maybe pears would be a great side dish. Nothing more is needed - Delicious. ENJOY!