Paleo Autumn Stuffed Acorn Squash

Oh boy! Hold onto your hats for this epic savory-sweet meal. It combines awesome Fall-inspired flavors with the protein-packed power of lean ground chicken. The best part? This is a complete meal all on its own. And trust me– you will be full. The Hubs was pleasantly surprised by how filling this dish was.

Paleo Autumn Stuffed Acorn Squash

(Yields: 4 servings)

2 Acorn Squash
1 Misto Spray of Olive Oil
1 small onion
1 cup spinach
1/4 – 1 cup mushrooms
3 leaves of fresh sage
1 lb ground chicken
1/2 tbs minced garlic
3 small red apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 tbs chopped pecan
1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries
1/8-1/4 cup Grade B organic maple syrup
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut both Acorn Squash in half and scoop out the guts and seeds, but leave the flesh. Put the four halves on a cookie sheet, cut side face up. Spray all pieces with one spray of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Put in oven and roast for 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the onion, spinach, mushrooms, and sage. After pulverizing it, mix it with the chicken and minced garlic (plus salt and pepper to taste). Put in a pan over medium high heat and cook until chicken is no longer pink (may be hard to tell because there are so many green veggies in the mix…so look closely! Otherwise, ballpark it by 5-7 minutes). Drain off excess liquid from the vegetables.

3. Mix apples with pecans and cranberries. Toss with maple syrup (I used 1/4 cup and the Hubs loved it, but it was a tad sweet to me. So, if you’re a bit sensitive to sweetness, you may want to be light handed).

4. Add the apple mixture to the chicken sausage skillet throughly. Divide the contents into 4 sections and fill the centers of each acorn squash half. It should be heaping. Pop it back into the oven for 15-20 minutes until tops are browned and apples are softened (but still crisp). Serve and enjoy!