Thanksgiving Recipe from the Pembroke Farmers Market

Thanksgiving is fast approaching which means it's time to start planning your dinner menu! If you're looking for a new way to serve up some Turkey Day staples, then look no further than this Sausage-Stuffed Acorn Squash, featuring sausage from Dias and Daughters, Wilde Field cheese from The Farmhouse Meats and Cheese, Bountiful Beauty seasoning from The BFF Kitchen, and, of course, local acorn squash from Oakdale Farms.

The sweetness of the squash balances well with the tartness of the apple and the savory flavors of the sausage and herbs. Bonus: you can actually eat the skin of acorn squash, so there's less to clean up after you dig in!

You can find all of these vendors, and more, at our Thanksgiving market on Sunday, November 23rd from 10am-1pm at Christina's Restaurant in Pembroke. We hope to see you there!

Sausage-Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients (makes 6 servings):

• 1 small onion, diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 2 apples, diced

• 1 tsp Bountiful Beauty seasoning (BFF Kitchen)

• Olive oil

• Salt and pepper

• 3 Acorn squashes (Oakdale Farms)

• 1 lb ground sausage (Dias and Daughters)

• 1 cup of breadcrumbs from a large slice of sourdough bread (Wright’s Family Coop). Stale is better!

• 1 cup Wilde Field cheese, shredded (The Farmhouse Meats and Cheese)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut each acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds.

• Brush the acorn squash flesh with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then place the squash halves flesh-side down, and bake for ~40 minutes or until fork-tender.

• While the squash is baking, make your breadcrumbs by adding the sliced, stale sourdough to a food processor and blending until it resembles breadcrumbs. Reserve for later.

• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground sausage. Cook until the sausage is cooked-through (160 degrees internal temperature,) then remove from the pan and set aside in a bowl. Keep the grease in the pan!

• Add the onions and celery to the skillet and sauté until tender and brown, adding olive oil if needed.

• Add the apples and cook for a few minutes until soft, then add the Bountiful Beauty seasoning and the breadcrumbs, and stir to combine.

• Add 3/4 cup Wilde Field cheese and stir until melted, then add the sausage back to the skillet and mix everything until combined.

• Remove the squash from the oven (keeping the oven on,) carefully flip each squash half over so they don’t collapse, and spoon the meat stuffing into the center of each squash.

• Bake for an additional 10 minutes, then top each squash half with the remaining cheese and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Enjoy!