Baked Butternut Squash with Italian Sausage Stuffing

Ingredients

20 ounces sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes and dried out (*see note)
5 cups cubed butternut squash (about one medium size squash)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
1 pound ground sweet Italian chicken or turkey sausage, casing removed
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
4 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
3½ cups chicken or turkey stock
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup Asiago cheese, shredded
½ cup (1 stick) of butter, melted
Nonstick oil spray

Preparation

1
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2
Toss butternut squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 15 minutes.
3
Meanwhile, cook the sausage in a saucepan over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes. Add garlic, onion, celery, sage, and thyme. Sauté for 3 more minutes then remove from heat.
4
Remove squash from the oven after 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375.
5
Beat the eggs, and stir them into the chicken stock.
6
In a large bowl combine the bread cubes, sausage mixture, baked squash, Parmesan and Asiago cheese, and ½ teaspoon salt and pepper.
7
Pour half the chicken stock/egg mixture into the bowl, distributing evenly, and gently fold together.
8
Pour the rest of the chicken stock liquid and the melted butter evenly over the mixture, and gently fold together again.
9
Spray a 9" X 13" dish with cooking spray and add the stuffing mixture.
10
Bake for 30-35 minutes uncovered.
11
Recipe Notes: To dry out the bread, cut it into cubes and heat on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Or cut it into cubes and let it sit out on the counter uncovered for 24 hours. When mixing the bread with the other ingredients, avoid over-work the stuffing or the bread will lose its structure.
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About

Baked Butternut Squash with Italian Sausage Stuffing - a wonderful combination of savory, hearty, & cheesy, w/a hint of sweet from the butternut squash.

Please visit my blog Taste and See for more delicious recipes!

Yield:

10 servings

Added:

Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - 12:22pm

Creator:

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