Stuffed butternut squash is one of my favorite dinners to enjoy during the fall season! Tender, roasted butternut squash halves are filled to the brim with a hearty and flavorful mix of sweet Italian sausage, crisp apples, dried cranberries, pecans, and a medley of veggies and herbs. And that leftover squash flesh? Don’t worry — I’ve got a few tips below on repurposing it!
Why You’ll Love This Stuffed Butternut Squash Recipe
When the air turns crisp, there’s nothing I crave more than curling up on the couch and savoring all that roasted butternut squash has to offer. But when I’m in the mood for something a bit heartier than butternut squash soup, this apple sausage stuffed butternut squash is my seasonal go-to. And let me just say, this dish is extra special because it combines the best fall flavors into one meal—from sweet, crisp apples to tart cranberries and crunchy pecans. But here’s what you’ll really love about this recipe:
- The stuffing is flexible. Want to make it vegan? Swap the meat for rice or quinoa. Want to add different veggies? Add kale instead of spinach. Have fun with this recipe, because there’s nothing more satisfying than customizing a meal to suit your taste (and I’ve got plenty of ideas for that below).
- It’s perfect for any dinner occasion. Not only is this a wonderful recipe for a delicious weeknight dinner, but I also love serving this at Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving – it presents beautifully on a plate!
Recipe Ingredients
- Butternut Squash: I’m using a 2 ½ pound butternut squash, so try to find one with a similar weight (though you can go a bit larger). Besides that, look for a squash with a matte tan color that is free of any cuts or soft spots.
- Italian Sausage: I love using sweet Italian sausage in this recipe, but you can also use mild or spicy Italian sausage. It’s up to you!
- Vegetables: A mix of onion and spinach adds the perfect savory touch.
- Herbs and Aromatics: Fresh garlic, sage, and rosemary boost the seasonal flavor profile (and they smell so good!).
- Fruit and Nut Fillings: Diced apples, pecans, and dried cranberries add sweetness and crunch, while enhancing the fall vibes of the dish.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Make This Stuffed Butternut Squash
Slice and season the butternut squash. You can get in-depth directions in my post on how to cut butternut squash, but I like to first soften the squash by poking a few holes and then microwaving it for 2 to 3 minutes. Then, slice the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, brush with oil, and season with salt and black pepper.
Bake the squash halves. Place each half cut-side down in a baking dish and bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 400°F (200°C).
Cook the sausage and vegetables. While waiting for the squash to roast, it’s time to make the filling. First, cook the sausage until it’s browned, breaking it up with your spatula into smaller pieces. Then add the onions, minced garlic, and baby spinach. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes until the spinach is wilted.
Add the aromatics and other fillings. Add the diced apple, sage, and rosemary and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the apple softens. Turn off the heat and stir in the cranberries and chopped pecans.
Stuff the butternut squash and bake once more. Remove the squash from the oven, flip the halves over, and scoop out some of the flesh, leaving about ½-inch of butternut squash along the edges. Stuff each half with the delicious apple sausage filling, then return the squash to the oven and broil for 5 minutes for a beautiful golden top.
Cooking Tips
- Make this ahead of time by cooking the filling a day in advance. Then, simply fill the squash and bake it the next day.
- Use the leftover butternut squash to make mashed butternut squash! Since it’s a small amount, I love enjoying it alongside eggs and avocado for breakfast or I’ll even spread it on toast with a sprinkle of goat cheese.
- Turn this into a casserole by scooping out all the squash flesh and spreading it at the bottom of a casserole dish. Then, layer the apple sausage stuffing on top. This is a great option if you’re serving it at a dinner party!
Stuffing Variations
- Use other proteins such as diced herb baked chicken, crispy bacon, or other ground meats. If using ground meat, season it with salt, black pepper, and a few other of your favorite seasonings to give it enough flavor.
- Make this vegan by replacing the meat with sautéed mushrooms, cooked quinoa, or rice.
- Switch the baby spinach with other leafy greens like kale or Swiss chard.
- Add a cheesy touch by sprinkling a bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese on top before popping the squash under the broiler.
More Butternut Squash Recipes
- Roasted Butternut Squash: The best ways to roast this vegetable!
- Kale and Butternut Squash Frittata: The best fall breakfast for a crowd.
- Roasted Butternut Squash Salad: A great seasonal salad to keep in rotation.
- Butternut Squash and Eggplant Stir Fry: Gives a fall spin to an Asian stir-fry.
- Or enjoy these other butternut squash recipes!
If you make this apple sausage stuffed butternut squash recipe, I’d love to know how it turned out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration (and exclusive content), join my free newsletter.
Description
Video
Equipment
- Black Rimmed Casserole Dish One of my favorite casserole dishes for recipes like this.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pound butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ pound Italian sausage
- ½ onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups (lightly packed) baby spinach
- 1 apple, cored and diced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
- ½ tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries, unsweetened
- ¼ cup pecans, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Slice the squash. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Slice the butternut squash in half with a very sharp knife. You can also cut the ends off and microwave it for 2 minutes, to make it easier to slice in half lengthwise.
- Prep the squash. Scoop the seeds out of the butternut squash with a spoon. Then, lightly oil the butternut squash and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake the squash. Lay the butternut squash, cut side down on a small baking sheet or baking dish, and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
- Cook the sausage and veggies. While the butternut squash is cooking, add the sausage to a saute pan on medium heat. Use a spatula to break up the sausage, and cook until it's just browned. Then, add the onions, garlic, and baby spinach to the pan and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, until the spinach is wilted.
- Add the rest. Add the apple, sage, and rosemary and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the apple has softened slightly. Then turn off the heat and stir in the cranberries and pecans.
- Remove the flesh. When the butternut squash halves are cooked through, remove them from the oven, flip them over and remove some of the flesh (but leave plenty to enjoy) to make room for the filling. Save this removed flesh and turn it into mashed butternut squash to enjoy later!
- Stuff the squash. Fill the butternut squash with the apple sausage filling. Then turn the top broiler in the oven and bake the filled butternut squash for 5 minutes, or until they're golden on top.
Lisa’s Tips
- Depending on the size of your butternut squash, you may have leftovers of the sausage apple filling. You can top this on leafy greens for a hearty salad or a bowl of rice for quick-and-easy lunch.
- Make this ahead of time by cooking the filling a day before. Then, fill the squash and bake the next day.
- To store leftovers: Allow the stuffed squash to cool to room temperature before placing it in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. For reheating, just microwave for a minute or two, until warmed through.
- For freezing: For optimal freshness, wrap each squash tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then place them in a freezer-safe airtight container or a resealable freezer bag. They can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until warmed through, or use the microwave for a quicker option.
Nutrition
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Recipe originally published November 2019, but updated to include new photos, a video, and additional information for your benefit!
Is there a good substitution for the italian sausage?
Hi Ceci – You can also use seasoned diced chicken, or other ground meats with your favorite seasonings.
Question on nutrition info
Is this 980 kcal for the whole dish or per person?
Hi Jonathan — The nutritional information will always be per serving!
This recipe is crazy flavorful – I couldn’t get enough! I did omit the cranberries as I think the apples give just enough sweet. But so savory!
Thrilled you loved this stuffed butternut squash, Christine!
Yummmmy! Easy to make too!
Hi Michelle – I’m so glad you loved this stuffed butternut squash!
I really love this dish- I have made three times now. I’ve been using a pound of sausage because I want leftovers! This third time I finally added the cranberries and wow I didn’t know what I was missing! Just the perfect savory and sweet. I haven’t scooped out the squash either – I just put the sausage mixture on top and start eating. I’m curious, is the nutritional value you have listed for the whole recipe? Thanks for another delicious recipe :)
Hi Anne – Thrilled to hear you’re loving this stuffed butternut squash! It really is the perfect combo of sweet and savory goodness. As for the nutritional information, there are 2 servings in this recipe. So it’ll be for one half of the butternut squash.
Amazing! I’ve never liked squash much, but was looking for something “different” to try with my new healthier eating plan of little to no bread, pasta or rice. A Fresh butternut squash and this sausage filling changed my opinion! I didn’t have cranberries or pecans, so I used the roasted, salted pumpkin seeds I had. Delish! I also rubbed some cinnamon and ground turmeric on the squash along with the olive oil/salt/pepper before roasting. It turned out better than I could have even hoped.
Wonderful! I’m happy to hear this recipe pleasantly surprised you, Julie. And it sounds like you made some perfect tweaks with what you had on hand.
Such a delicious filling recipe! I tried it in the fall and have been eating it since :)
Hi Gia – A must-make dinner throughout squash season! Happy to hear you love it as well.
This is a delicious and incredibly flavorful recipe! It is savory yet has just the right amount of sweetness with butternut squash, apples and cranberries, the herbs tie it together nicely.
The recipe is not terribly complicated to cook if you set aside some time, and get the ingredients organized. (I like to poke the butternut squash with a fork and microwave before cutting to soften the tough skin, this is a new method I just learned) I omitted the onions since my husband, and I have food sensitivities.
Apple Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash is a big hit in my household. It is ideal for any occasion during the fall and winter months. It would be great for a holiday, for entertaining, or any normal day – served with a glass of wine!
I highly recommend giving this recipe a try!
Happy to hear this stuffed butternut squash is such a hit, Anna!
Oh my goodness! This apple sausage stuffed butternut squash recipe is amazing! In the late fall I loaded up on butternut squash during our local farmer’s market end of season sale. I’ve been trying new recipes for it ever since and this one has got to be the best! Lisa’s flare for blending different ingredients and making recipes so healthy and fresh tasting is amazing. Give this one a try, you’ll be hooked.
Hi Janie – It really is a surprisingly delicious combination of flavors, isn’t it? So happy you loved it!
Just tried this recipe and it is a keeper!!
Thank you Lisa
Wonderful, happy to hear it, Mary!
I was astonished in the calorie count for serving but this recipe considers 1/2 of a stuffed 2+ 1/2 lb butternut squash is one serving.
I noticed another recipe had double the calories I would expect per serving, but the serving size wasn’t given. Just a heads up to readers and users-I found it more expedient to dump the recipe into a calorie counter and then portion accordingly
Has anyone tried fresh cranberries, we love the tart flavors but not sure how it will work in this recipe!
Delicious!! My hubby and I both love this dish!
This was a hit at our Thanksgiving dinner! —A new addition everyone enjoys. I used our favorite breakfast sausage and followed your directions. It was so helpful to know microwaving for 2 minutes makes it easy to halve the squash! Thank you, Lisa!!!
You’re more than welcome, Sue! So happy to hear this was a hit for your Thanksgiving dinner. And yes, it’s amazing how much you can soften the squash with just a couple of minutes in the microwave. So much safer to cut through as well. Enjoy!
I look forward to making this beautiful dish! If adapting it to a casserole, should the butternutsquash be seasoned and roasted before baking together with the meat mixture?
Hi Rachel – I would season and cook the butternut squash separately, while you’re also cooking the filling on the stove. Then you simply have to combine them! Enjoy.
Can I use walnuts . Peices . Instead of pecan . One of my guest has allergies to pecans ..
Hi Rebecca – yes, no problem!
YUM!!! I was actually surprised by how much I liked this. so many great fall flavors and the perfect balance of a little sweet with the savory flavors. so good!!
Hi Jillian – I’m so happy you loved it! It really is a great melding of savory, fall flavors. Enjoy!
This recipe was absolutely delicious. I loved having some of the butternut squash left over so I could incorporate it into another meal. Thanks, Lisa your recipes are never a disappointment!
Hi Linda – I’m so glad you love this stuffed squash recipe! The leftover squash is such a great ingredient to have as well for other meals.
Excellent! I highly recommend this recipe. There’s a few steps to it, but it’s worth it.
Hi there – Happy to hear you’re loving this butternut squash recipe!
So good! It’s fall on a plate 😊 I got interrupted so many times while making this and it still turned out fabulously. It’s very easy to make in stages and then reheat, assemble and serve. Even the skeptics who watched me cook each part were blown away by the final result. Beautiful presentation and such complex flavors and textures. Wonderful! Can you tell I liked it?
I’m so glad you loved this stuffed butternut squash! Nothing beats an easy yet delicious meal like this.
This was so good!!!! I didn’t have pecans so I used chopped walnuts and it was amazing!
The recipe was easy to follow as well. Definitely be making it again this season.
Hi Sarah – I bet the chopped walnuts were equally delicious!
This was delicious and also quite easy to prepare. The filling comes together very quickly with not very much chopping. The part that takes longest is cooking the squash but that’s a hands off situation. I actually roasted other veg along with the squash (apples, onions, carrots, celery) so I could add them to the squash meat that I scooped out. Then I blended it all with some broth and spices and a dash of coconut milk and had some squash soup to put in my fridge.
Hi Veronica – Happy to hear you loved this recipe!
Loved it! Substituted with plant based sausage and it was great!
Hi Amy – Wonderful! I’m glad you enjoyed this stuffed butternut squash.
I made this for my family today. It’s the perfect recipe to incorporate fall flavours and the dried cranberries give it a little taste of tanginess. We loved it and will be making it again!
Hi Kim – I’m so glad the whole family enjoyed this stuffed squash recipe!
Very nice. Will be doing it again. We did it with ground beef but next time will add a bit of passata or tomato paste and maybe worcester sauce to add a bit of moisture
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Colin!
My new favorite autumn recipe!!!!!! Thank you
Yay, I’m so happy to hear that. Thanks, Suki!
I try every recipe Lisa presents. . . honestly they are all between an 8.5 out of ten to a 10 out of ten. This one however is a 15 out of ten! This meal in itself is an easy put together dish with the most amazing flavours and textures. And the look? oh the LOOK! Try it and you will have formed a new addiction. L
Hi Lara – Thrilled to hear you love this recipe so much!
This was just superb!!!!! I loved all the flavors and how they meshed together- Thanksgiving in each bite! So, sooooo good! Plus, it was so easy, but looked like I put a ton of effort into it!
Hi Christine – Thrilled to hear you loved this stuffed butternut squash recipe!
I have two questions:
1) do you recommend a specific apple?
2) what do you recommend as a replacement for the nuts? Some of my family have nut allergies.
This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it!!
Hi T.J. – For apples, I like to use fuji, gala, or honeycrisp. For nuts, you can also use roughly chopped seeds like pumpkin seeds!
This recipe looks delicious! What would you suggest to replace the Italian sausage. My husband really does not like sausage of any kind.
Hi Gaetane – I have a few suggestions written in the post, but you could always use ground meat like chicken or beef. I would just season it so it has enough flavor!
Made this and there is an error in the instructions. Not softening the onion and garlic before putting in the spinach would leave you with pretty raw cooking onion. Otherwise we really enjoyed it! ( and cooked the onion first. ) worked well with hazelnuts instead of pecans.
Hi Jane – the onion cooks on the stove for about 4 to 6 minutes (between steps 5 and 6), which should be plenty of time to soften it. But if you’d like it extra soft, definitely feel free to saute it on it’s own for a bit first. :)
This is one of my favorite Go-To fall recipes now! So delicious. I routinely do it in Acorn Squash too- we like it better than butternut generally.
Happy you love this stuffed butternut squash, Lara!
Would this recipe work as a salad with butternut squash cubes rather than stuffing?
You can toss the stuffing with roasted butternut squash and extra greens for a filling salad!
I made this the other night for the first time and it was so delicious! My husband took one look at it and said that he thought it wasn’t going to like it but was pleasantly surprised at good it was.
I unfortunately didn’t have any apples or cranberries on hand and I’m sure they with them it would have really elevated the dish but let me tell you, even without them, it was so yummy! Such an easy dish that gives a fall wow factor at the table.
Thanks Bonnie! I’m happy you both loved the recipe!
I’ve never commented on a recipe in my life, but this one is worth it. Great flavor profile. Found via Garden Answer recent video. 1000 stars.
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, I appreciate it! And I’m thrilled you loved the recipe as well. :)
This was a great dish! I only made the filling, and then mixed in quinoa to make it more of a complete meal on its own. It was very quick and easy to throw together.
So happy you loved it, Emily!
How would you make this ahead of time, so there’s not quite so much hands-on the day of? I’m guessing pre-roast the squash and make the filling, then just heat them separately and broil as originally posted?
You can make the filling first a day before. Then, fill the squash and bake the next day.
Oh my goodness! I have not even finished my plate but had to tell you how much I love it! I have to avoid corn (and dairy and pecans and gluten) and the only not too processed sausage I could find was sweet so I added some red pepper flakes. What a weird and wonderfully delicious combination! I put the scooped out squash in a small ramekin and topped it with the leftover mixture. Will try freezing it. Thank you for your amazingly flexible recipes.
Thanks for leaving a review and so happy to hear you enjoyed this stuffed butternut squash recipe!
I think I will make this for a potluck. Instead of scooping out the squash I will be cubing it and mixing it together ads a casserole. Hope it tastes as good as it looks!
Do report back and let us know how it turned out, Rhonda!
This was so, so good. The filling is delicious and nicely balances with the squash. One of my favorite recipes.
Yay, I’m happy you love it, Amy!
Made this today instead of a big turkey dinner and loved it ! Shared the recipe with my friend 3000 miles away – she made it too!! It’s a keeper I think we can enjoy all winter long.
Thrilled to hear everyone loved this stuffed butternut squash!
My non picky teens and I loved this. However, the walk away consensus was that it could’ve used more cranberries and the pecans should be omitted or pre roasted to soften & match the texture. Will definitely be making again this season.
Happy to hear everyone enjoyed this stuffed butternut squash recipe, Jen! As always, you can tweak the recipe to your liking.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was wonderful! It was easy to put together and was really flavorful. I know it’s one of your recipes from last year, but it’s a great fall one to make. The right amount of sweetness between the roasted squash, the apples and I substituted raisins for the dried cranberries. We have some of the meat mixture leff over, which is okay with us-we love leftovers! Thank you Lisa!
This stuffed butternut squash is a fall dinner staple! Happy to hear this recipe was a win for you Susan.
I especially loved the leftovers that didn’t fit in the butternut squash. I made with 2 eggs, added avocado, mushrooms, and cilantro. Super yum breakfast.
I wanted to show you photo, but don’t see link to attach.
The filling is so good you can eat it on its own!