Baked Butternut Squash with Italian Sausage Stuffing
By: Holly Sander
Published: Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - 12:22pm

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.

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!