This Stovetop stuffing and sausage stuffed butternut squash makes a delicious main dish loaded with flavor. The protein and veggies cook together in one dish. It's a fun way to enjoy classic butternut squash.
Butternut squash is one of my favorite vegetables. I love to add it to soups, serve it as a side, and of course, stuff it. This stuffed butternut squash recipe is one of my family's favorites, and I think it will be one of yours, too!
This was inspired by these stuffed zucchini boats and chorizo sausage stuffed peppers! I decided to take delicious stuffing and, well, stuff it into a perfectly baked butternut squash. It's absolutely delicious!
Looking for more ways to cook up butternut squash? Try this butternut squash potato cakes recipe or transform it into a creamy butternut squash soup.
Why You Will Love this Recipe
- A great flavor combination! Roasted butternut squash with its buttery sweetness mashed up with some Italian sausage for a slightly spicy flavor.
- An easy recipe any level cook can prepare!
- It requires very little prep time. Most of the time preparing this recipe takes place in the oven so it's completely hands-off.
Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make butternut squash with sausage and stuffing. I bet they're all either in your pantry or you can grab them on a quick trip to the grocery store.
Check out the recipe card at the end of the post for exact quantities.
- Butternut squash: You want to choose a large, whole butternut squash.
- Italian sweet sausage: A family favorite sausage to use to make this sausage and butternut squash recipe but you can also use spicy.
- Veggies: We will be using classic stuffing veggies such as celery, sweet onion, and garlic.
- Olive oil: For sauteing the veggies but you can swap with another healthy, neutral oil if you prefer.
- Stovetop cornbread stuffing mix: I like Stovetop but you can use other brands as well if there is another you prefer.
- Butter: To flavor and moisten the stuffing. Follow the directions on your package of stuffing mix for the amount.
- Chicken broth: Liquid added to the stuffing mix for moisture. It adds more flavor than water.
- Parmesan cheese: This cheesy final finish adds more flavor.
Substitutions
- No chicken broth: That's ok you can use vegetable broth, turkey broth, or white wine instead.
- Parmesan: Swap it for pecorino romano, cheddar, mozzarella cheese, gruyere, gouda, or pepper jack cheese.
- Butternut squash: Other winter squash with a hollow center such as acorn squash works well too. Just be sure to adjust cooking times accordingly because they require different baking times.
- Italian sweet sausage: Italian sweet sausage works best for this dish but you can experiment with other types of ground breakfast sausage, spicy Italian sausage, ground beef, ground pork, chorizo, ground turkey, or a blend of any.
- Sweet onion: If you don't have sweet onion you can also use yellow or red onions instead. For a milder flavor, swap them with shallots or leeks.
- Cornbread stuffing mix: You can also use bread stuffing mix or any flavor you prefer.
Variations
- Add some fruit or nuts to the stuffing. Dried cranberries, dried apricots or raisins all work great along with walnuts, pine nuts, or pecans.
- Add more vegetables: Mushrooms, bell peppers, and zucchini will all work well cooked with celery and onions. You can also add greens such as kale or spinach but add them right toward the end of cooking the veggies.
- Add crunchy onions on top! They add crunch and amazing flavor.
- Make gluten-free stuffing. Use a gluten-free stuffing mix and check the labels of other ingredients for any hidden gluten.
- Vegetarian stuffed butternut squash. Substitute the sausage with cooked lentils or crumbled tofu and add extra vegetables such as mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, and zucchini.
- Swap the stuffing mix. Use quinoa or cooked wild rice blend instead.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, omit the Parmesan cheese or replace it with a vegan alternative such as nutritional yeast flakes or vegan cheese shreds.
Short on time? Try this easy variation! Cut the squash into cubes and roast it in preheated oven at 400°F (204°C) for about 20 minutes until tender. Then combine it with the sausage stuffing mixture and serve!
How to Make Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash
This is an easy sausage and butternut squash recipe that only takes a few simple steps. In fact, the most time-consuming part of the recipe is baking the squash.
The highlights are below, but you'll find the complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Slice and seed the butternut squash.
- Coat with olive oil and bake cut-side down until the squash is tender but firm.
- Saute the celery and onion. Then, prepare the stuffing mix according to the package directions in the same skillet, using broth in place of water.
- Place the sausage in a heated skillet and cook until browned.
- Drain the sausage and mix it with the stuffing.
- Scoop a small channel out of the neck of the squash.
- Fill it with stuffing mixture.
- Sprinkle the tops with parsley and serve warm. Enjoy!
If you love stuffed vegetable recipes like this one, you may also enjoy these smoked stuffed mushrooms.
Storage
Although best served fresh, here's what to do if you have leftover sausage stuffing butternut squash.
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Store the stuffing and squash separately in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 4 months.
- Reheat: The easiest way to reheat this recipe is in the microwave covered in 1-minute increments. You can also wrap each piece individually in foil and heat it in a 350˚F (176˚C) oven for 15-20 minutes or until heated throughout.
How to Serve
This easy sausage and butternut squash recipe is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner but nice enough to serve guests or for a special occasion.
It works great as a main dish but could also be used as a side dish as well.
Side dishes: Serve it with a simple salad such as this cucumber and vinegar or a simple veggie side such as air fryer green beans.
Main dishes: Serve up butternut squash stuffed with sausage as a side dish along with oven baked beef ribs or salmon a la plancha.
For more ideas of what to serve with this dish, check out What to Serve with Stuffed Peppers! Many of these recipes will work great with this one too.
A dish should always be served with a delicious side to bring out the mouthwatering flavors. Find the perfect one at What to Serve With Ratatouille.
Tips
- Make sure to roast the butternut squash face down. This keeps it moist but also traps the heat inside so it cooks a bit more quickly.
- Choose similar-sized squash so they cook in the same amount of time.
- Best when served immediately! We don't recommend making this dish ahead of time.
FAQ
If you do not have parchment paper you can spray your baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
Yes! Use a sharp knife to make a few slices in the skin of the squash. Then microwave each whole squash on high power for 4 minutes. This helps soften up the skins so they are easier to cut into halves lengthwise.
Parchment paper is best as it allows for better airflow and helps prevent sticking when cooking.
More Stuffing Recipes
Do you like stuffing? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large butternut squash
- 1 pound Italian sweet sausage
- ½ cup celery diced
- ½ cup sweet onion diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1 pkg (6 oz) cornbread stuffing mix
- butter according to the amount on the stuffing mix
- chicken broth amount to replace the water in the stuffing mix
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese shredded or grated
- parsley to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice both butternut squash in half lengthwise and cut off the stem and base of the squash.
- Using a spoon, scoop out the stringy guts and seeds and brush the cut side of the squash with ½ tablespoon of olive oil.
- Place the butternut squash halves cut side down onto your baking sheet and bake uncovered for 45-60 minutes. The squash should be firm but soft, if you prefer a softer squash you can leave it in the oven for 10-minute increments until the desired softness is reached.
- While the squash is baking, in a large skillet sauté celery and onion with the remaining ½ tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until onion is translucent and celery is soft.
- In the same skillet with the celery and onion, prepare the stuffing mix in accordance with the package directions however, replace the water with chicken broth. Once done, set aside.
- In a medium skillet, brown the Italian sausage and drain any grease it produces.
- Combine the sausage with the stuffing until well mixed.
- Once your butternut squash is cooked, scoop out a small channel of squash the length of the squash and stuff it with your sausage stuffing mixture.
- Top the sausage stuffing butternut squash with parmesan cheese and parsley. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
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