Sausage and Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash - is a perfect autumn dinner recipe that brings together roasty acorn squash, italian sausages, brown rice, and caramelized onions. The whole thing is topped with fresh parsley, chopped pistachios and dried cranberries.
This recipe for stuffed acorn squash is too good to be a side. So are these 20 classic Acorn squash recipes for fall.
Try this stuffed acorn squash with Pumpkin Cheesecake Fudge or these Classic Buttermilk Pancakes
Jump to:
- Hearty comfort fall meal laced with your favorite flavors
- Ingredients to make stuffed acorn squash
- How to make Acorn stuffed squash recipe
- Cooking Variations for rice stuffed acorn squash
- how to easily cut acorn squash in half
- What does Acorn squash pair well with?
- More Fall Sides 🍁
- Recipe for Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Sausage and Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe

Try this sausage and rice stuffed acorn squash recipe for an easy vegetarian meal you can serve at Thanksgiving or anytime of the year.
With a creamy, cheesy and healthy filling, this easy Thanksgiving side dish is the perfect way to use your fall harvest of acorn squash.
Hearty comfort fall meal laced with your favorite flavors
Nothing beats a good meal. This stuffed acorn squash recipe is so flavorful and so easy to prepare.
One of the major reasons I like Stuffed Acorn Squash recipes is :- Stuffed acorn squash are simple to find and easy to work with, yet have an elegant presentation that makes guests think they took a lot of time to prepare. That's smart isn't it 😉

Another major reasons that I like this recipe for stuffed acorn squash is - Acorn squash has a distinctive, nutty flavor and smooth, creamy texture.
This easy, healthy recipe can be made in a 9x13 baking dish, or in individual squashes.
Ingredients to make stuffed acorn squash
- Small Acorn Squashes
- onions
- celery
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- fresh rosemary
- fresh sage
- fresh thyme
- butter (salted or unsalted)
- Pure Maple syrup
- cooked brown rice
- fresh garlic
- spicy sausage
- panko breadcrumbs - can substitute with regular breadcrumbs
- Parmesan cheese - or swiss cheese or mozzarella cheese (whatever you have in hand)
How to make Acorn stuffed squash recipe
- STEP 1: Cut the top and bottom of each squash to create a flat base. Now, use a sharp knife to cut through the center.
- STEP 2: Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds from the center of the squash. Make individual bowls for the squash.
- STEP 3: Brush squash with salted butter and maple syrup.
- STEP 4: Roast acorn squash in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F (200°C) for 45-50 minutes or until fork tender.
- STEP 5: In the meantime, heat a skillet with olive oil. Add onions. Spread them out in the pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Cook onions until lightly caramelized.
- STEP 6: Add in celery, minced cloves of garlic, spicy sausages, cooked brown rice, and herbs (rosemary+thyme+sage). Cook until sausages are browned on all sides.
- STEP 7: Remove from heat and add in panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
- STEP 8: Once the squash is roasted (you should be able to poke it with a fork). Remove from oven and spoon the prepared filling.
- STEP 9: Return the squash to oven for another additional 20-minutes. Add some more parmesan cheese for the final 5-minutes.
- STEP 10: Serve stuffed acorn squash with sausage with loads of fresh chopped parsley, chopped pistachios, and dried cranberries.


Cooking Variations for rice stuffed acorn squash
- Skip the rice - Don't want to use the rice? No problem. Just use sausages instead.
- Choose your favorite kind of sausage - Whether you like sweet sausages or spicy sausages or any other kind of sausages, you can use whatever you like.
- Mushrooms - Instead of celery you can use button mushrooms as well.
- Vegetarian sausages - Instead of meat sausage you can use vegetarian sausages made without meat - such as soy sausages or tofu sausages.
how to easily cut acorn squash in half
- STEP 1: Choose a sharp knife. Preferably a one that's long.
- STEP 2: Lay the squash on a flat cutting surface on the side. Slice the top in a sawing motion and bottom in a similar fashion so that it settles further. This will help keep the squash in place.
- STEP 3: Point the tip towards the bottom and in a sawing motion cut through the center of the squash until you divide it in half. It might get tough to cut through the center at some point. Then use your helper hand to push through the blade.
- STEP 4: Scoop out all the flesh and seeds from the center of the squash.
What does Acorn squash pair well with?
You can serve acorn squash with:
- Sesame Roasted chicken
- Sheet Pan Harvest Baked Apple Chicken with Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Mushrooms with Herby Quinoa
- Cheesy Sausage Gnocchi
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic & Honey
More Fall Sides 🍁
- 50 Ham Side Dishes
- Crispy Fried Green Beans in Air-Fryer
- Crispy Carrot Fries in Air Fryer | Healthy Side Dish
- 60+ Most Loved Thanksgiving Sides Recipes You ought to Try
- Ultimate Cowboy Caviar Recipe
Recipe for Stuffed Acorn Squash
Sausage and Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 2 small acorn squash cut in half
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 medium celery chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt as per taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary discard the stems and leaves finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme discard the stems and leaves finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage discard the stems and leaves finely chopped
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 3 cloves garlic fresh minced
- 2 cups salted butter softened
- 2 cups pure maple syrup
- 1 lb spicy sausages
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs can substitute with regular breadcrumbs
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
INSTRUCTIONS
Preparing Acorn Squash
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200°C).
- In a mixing bowl combine softened butter and pure maple syrup. Keep it aside.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the top and bottom edge of the acorn squash. So that it won't roll off further when you are trying to cut it in half.
- Point the tip of the knife towards the cutting board. Firmly press through the center of the squash and cut it in half. Use your helper hand to push through the center if it gets tough in the middle.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh and seeds from the center of the squash.
- Brush the inside of the squash with a mixture of pure maple syrup and softened butter.
- Place them flesh side down on a lined baking sheet.
- Roast them in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until fork tender.
Making the stuffing
- In a large skillet heat some olive oil over medium heat.
- Add onions. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until lightly caramelized.
- Add in chopped celery stalks, spicy sausages, fresh chopped herbs (rosemary + thyme + sage), cooked brown rice, and fresh minced garlic.
- Cook until sausages are brown on all sides.
- Remove from heat and stir in Panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.
Spoon the filling and Bake further
- Once the squash is done roasting, spoon the filling in the center.
- Bake for an additional 20-minutes in the same preheated oven at 400 degrees F.
- Top with more cheese for the final 5-minutes.
- Once done, remove from oven. Top with fresh chopped parsley, chopped pistachios, and dried cranberries.
Mia says
Love this recipe! So tasty 😋