Gluten Free Stuffing & Stuffed Acorn Squash

Since it is getting close to Thanksgiving – I figured I’d better share one of my favorite stuffing recipes. This one is a keeper! This year will be hard on us for traveling to families for dinners. However – we will not be missing out on delicious holiday meals! We may get strange looks and some feelings may get hurt – BUT there is no need for me (or the rest of us) to suffer just from eating foods we can’t handle anymore. I will be making all of our foods ahead of time and just bringing them along. This stuffing will definitely be on our menu! It has such a wonderful flavor with the sage and oregano. My favorite way to eat it is stuffed into an acorn squash. The squash gives it the right amount of sweetness to complement the savory flavors. I hope this little dish makes its way to your family table this year!

1 lb of turkey sausage

1 onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced (or ½ cup)
1 apple, diced (I used a sweet red but any kind will work)
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
6 slices of gluten free bread, dried and cubed
¾ cup turkey broth (or water)
1 tsp dried sage
½ tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sea salt
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp cumin
¼ cup pecans, chopped

• In a large skillet, brown turkey sausage with olive oil. Add in diced onions, celery, carrots, apple and garlic until cooked through.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine sausage mixture and bread crumbs. Add in seasonings and broth or water.
• Mix until well combined and bread is moist. Stir in pecans.
• To prepare the acorn squash: cut lengthwise and discard seeds. Pierce shell with a knife and put in a glass 2 quart dish, cut side down. Pour ¼ cup water over squash and microwave for 5 minutes. In a large baking pan, place the two pre-cooked halves of acorn squash cut side up.
• Fill squash with as much stuffing as will fit in it. For the remaining stuffing, pour into a greased 9x13 baking pan.
• Bake stuffed squash at 375°F for 20 minutes or until stuffing has started to brown.
• For the extra stuffing, bake at 375°F for 30 minutes or until stuffing is brown and is cooked through.