I looked at Mark this weekend and said something like, “We should probably rake this weekend, huh?” In true Mark fashion, he had some smart remark, pointing me in the direction of the rake hanging in the garage. We agreed that our trees still have quite a bit left to drop and so we’ve put off that activity for another time.
Instead, I talked him into doing a Shelly Dose HIIT workout with me. It kicked his butt. We had fun together. Shelly is slightly more enjoyable when exercising with someone. Most definitely, we will both be sore tomorrow. And he can no longer say my YouTube workouts aren’t as challenging as running.
This week, we’re shelving the whole cooking thing. We’re going to eat what’s here and whittle down our stock some. We’ve got a school potluck on Tuesday at lunch, I’ve got tennis on Tuesday night, and Thursday is obviously Thanksgiving. I’m not entirely sure how that’s possible, except we’re planning to put our tree soon and TJ Maxx was PACKED tonight. The holidays are upon us. BLACK FRIDAY IS LESS THAN A WEEK AWAY!
My mom is hosting Thanksgiving this year and she is going over and beyond. Since my family can’t settle on mashed potatoes for our potato side, she’ll also be making sweet potatoes. And even though we’re all on the fence about cranberries, she’s going to make them anyway. I told her as long as there’s stuffing, I’ll be coming 😉 It should be a great time and of course, delicious. I’m looking forward to it.
In the meantime, I’ve been welcoming Thanksgiving-esque food into my life by way of several staple recipes. This is THIRD appearance of these Sausage and Apple-Stuffed Acorn Squash on my blog and I’ll make no apologies for that. THIRD APPEARANCE! These are absolutely delicious and year after year, continue to be one of my most popular posts.
I decided to re-blog the recipe because I got the most beautiful acorn squash in my CSA a few weeks ago. Some were the classic hunter green, some were a vibrant yellow striped with hunter green, and some were this fleshy color – all so unique. They were beautiful and I knew just the recipe to make – an oldie but goodie…and perfect for the Thanksgiving season. Enjoy!
- 2 large acorn squash, halved and seeds removed
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- ½ tsp ground sage, divided
- ¾ lb sweet Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
- ½ cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery rib, finely chopped
- 4 oz mushrooms, chopped
- 1 apple, cored and chopped
- 1 cup panko crumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ tsp salt and pepper
- 1 egg, beaten
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Combine the melted butter, garlic, and ¼ tsp sage. Brush the flesh of each squash with the butter mix. Place the squash on a cookie sheet, cut side up, and roast for 50-60 minutes, or until fork tender.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the sausage. When the sausage is browned, remove it from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate; set aside. To the skillet add the onions, celery, and mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add the apples and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Remove skillet from heat and stir in sausage. Season with ¼ tsp sage, salt, and pepper. Stir in the panko and Parmesan, mix well. Add the egg and stir to combine.
- Divide the stuffing evenly among the four squash halves, pressing firmly to fill the wells completely. Return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes. Serve hot.
Weekly Menu: November 19th – 23rd
- Sunday: must-go’s from the fridge
- Monday: Take-out Indian
- Tuesday: chili over sweet potatoes
- Wednesday: breakfast for dinner – waffles, chicken sausage, fruit
- Thursday: Thanksgiving at my parents’
Be well,
I love this recipe. It is one of my go-to recipes. Thanks for reposting. My husband always says it’s like eating dessert. That squash is beautiful!