AHH, The Sweet, The Spicy, The Rice: Stuffed Acorn Squash

This is a great day....

I finally gave in yesterday and replaced my weak router with a new, more dependable one.

My old router could not keep up with my photo uploads.

I have successfully uploaded all of my photos without having to leave my chair (OH, HAPPY DAY!!).

I no longer have to run down and up the basement stairs.

You are going to have to keep up with me on this recipe. I have so many notes wrote on a piece of paper, as far as the measurements, ingredients, etc...

I hope I can get them all put in place for you.

Which leads me to a piece of advice for you:

A NetBook is the perfect tool to have in the kitchen. Most people have wireless Internet, so a NetBook is the perfect recipe box (when it comes to recipes like this one).

You will be able to follow along without printing, running back and forth to another room, etc...
All you have to do is find a clean safe place in the kitchen to prop your NetBook.

*DO NOT SET IT BY THE MIXER* (like I did)

But since we have passed the picture, that WAS a picture of all of my ingredients being used in this recipe.


I purchased Jennie-O spicy/hot sausage links (from the Meijer store, of course) and squeezed out the meat from inside of the casings.

Let me tell you, that was not a fun job, dirty job, but someone had to do it. And just imagine, we eat those casings....EWWWW!!

And the picture.....that is the ugliest picture I have ever seen.

The rice I used is a mixture of Basmati Rice, Wild Rice, and Garden Herbs and Vegetables.

This bag of rice came all the way from Trader Joe's in Arizona. I am so jealous...I want a Trader Joe's!!

Yup, when I go on vacation, I search for food. Especially foods that I cannot get anywhere in Northwest Ohio (We are so missing out on all the good stuff).

I carried my rice findings back to Ohio in my carry-on bag. Ha, you should have seen security when they ran across the bags of rice....Kind of funny.

They thought I had liquid ice packs in my bag.


I browned my sausage, celery, garlic, onion, salt and pepper together in a skillet with about 2 TBS. of olive oil.

The rice medley needed 15 minutes to simmer (covered), so that was cooking while I browned my meat.

After the meat was browned (un-drained), I mixed in 2 TBS butter and 6 TBS apricot preserves.

Can you just imagine the smells going on in my kitchen? SWEET, SPICY, BUTTERY...

After my rice was done cooking I mixed it in with my meat mixture.

I sliced my acorn squash in half and scooped out the seeds.

The squash has to bake for 40 minutes, so it's a good idea to get this going first.

I used a jelly roll pan to bake my squash. I put water in the jelly roll pan almost up to the edge.
Placed the squash cut side down in the water.

Getting a jelly roll pan filled with water from the counter to the oven is an almost impossible task without spilling any water.

Let's just say, I was forced to mop my kitchen floor.....UGH!!

After the squash was baked, I dumped off the water and flipped over the squash so they are facing up. I placed a pad of butter in each one.

I have found out that those expensive steam facials can be completed in you own kitchen.

Why pay expensive facial prices when you can place a pan of water in your oven, heat it to 400 degrees, and open the oven door quickly while placing your face inside?

I am just kidding. Please do not do this. I found out that it is very painful, but my facial pores still feel tight today....


I scooped the rice mixture into the acorn squash and mounded it up so it looked like a squash with a mountain in it.

I placed it under the broiler in the oven for about 5 minutes, just to let it brown.

What a meal....

I got half way through mine and just couldn't eat anymore.

The buttery squash, spicy sausage, wild rice, and sweet apricot preserves was the perfect combination.

"Look Mom!! I ate squash, and it was delicious."

I am going to do my best to get this in recipe form for you.

I hope my directions above were easy enough to follow.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

2 medium sized acorn squash

2 celery heart stalks, chopped

1/2 c. onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

2 TBS olive oil

1 serving veggie rice medley (cooked according to pkg directions). (1 cup rice to 2 cups water)

6 TBS apricot preserves

1 stick butter (kept close by)

Jennie-O spicy/hot sausage links (meat squeezed from casings)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut acorn squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place them cut side down in a jelly roll pan filled with water, at least a 1/4 inch deep. Bake acorn squash for 40 minutes.

Brown sausage, chopped onion, garlic, celery, salt and pepper in 2 TBS olive oil.

Cook rice while browning your meat.

Stir into meat mixture, 2 TBS butter and 6 TBS apricot preserves, add cooked rice and stir to mix.

Remove acorn squash from oven after 40 minutes, turn over cut side up, place a pad of butter in each squash, and scoop in the meat mixture into each squash.

Return to the oven under the broiler for 5 minutes, or until meat mixture is browned. I kept a close eye on mine.

Well, I hope I have everything in place here.

Don't be afraid to comment if you have questions, or if you notice something I have forgotten.

Good Luck~Happy Eating~Enjoy