Sunnys Quick Wild Rice And Sausage Stuffed Squash Recipes

SAUSAGE-STUFFED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Cut squash lengthwise in half; discard seeds. Place squash in a large microwave-safe dish, cut side down; add 1/2 in. of water. Microwave, covered, on high until soft, 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly., Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook and crumble sausage with onion over medium-high heat until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute., Leaving 1/2-in.-thick shells, scoop flesh from squash and stir it into sausage mixture. Place squash shells on a baking sheet; fill with sausage mixture. Sprinkle with cheese., Broil 4-5 in. from heat until cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with pepper flakes. To serve, cut each half into 2 portions.

SAUSAGE AND RICE STUFFED SUMMER SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the squash halves cut sides down into a baking dish, and pour in enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes.
• While the squash is baking, bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat, and stir in the margarine and the contents of the rice package. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until rice is tender, about 7 minutes. Set the prepared rice aside.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and cook the sausage, mushrooms, coriander, and salt (if needed) until the sausage is browned, about 10 minutes. Drain excess grease. Mix the sausage mixture with the cooked rice mixture in a bowl, and lightly stir in the apple, pecans, and Cheddar cheese.
• Pour melted butter into a baking dish, and place the squash, hollow sides up, into the dish. Stuff the rice and sausage mixture into the squash, allowing the stuffing to mound up and overflow into the dish if necessary. Sprinkle the stuffed squash with Parmesan cheese.
• Return to oven, and bake until the stuffing is hot and the cheese topping has browned, about 30 more minutes.

STUFFED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH WILD RICE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds with a spoon. Place butternut squash, cut side up, onto a baking sheet. Brush on some oil and sprinkle chopped thyme on top.
• Bake for 45 mins, or until soft. Insert a fork to check doneness. If it's fork tender, it's ready.
• Place the rice in a large bowl and rinse 3 to 4 times with cold running water to wash off extra starch from the rice. Drain it well and set aside.
• Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat for 2 minutes until the hot oil sizzles and shimmers. Add onions and mushrooms and sauté for 2-3 minutes until onions are soft.
• Add rice and stir well to combine. Add peas, vegetable stock powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add approximately one cup of water (water level should be one inch above the mixture) and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Turn heat down to low, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Check occasionally to see if the liquid is absorbed.
• Turn off the heat and let it sit for another 10 to 15 minutes. The rice is still cooking by the residual heat. Gently fluff the rice. Note that this rice mixture is supposed to be a little mushy.
• Once the squash is fork tender, let it cool down to room temperature, or cool enough to handle. Scoop out the pulp, leaving the butternut squash shell at 1/2-inch thick.
• Add the pulp to the rice, and stir well to combine. Transfer the rice mixture evenly amongst the two shells.
• Sprinkle cheese on top (optional). If adding cheese, place the stuffed squash back into the oven and broil on high for 3 minutes, or until the cheese melts and turn golden brown on top. Keep a close eye on the broiler as things can burn quickly.
• Let the stuffed butternut squash cool for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle fresh parsley on top.

SUNNY'S ITALIAN SAUSAGE-STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• For the squash: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the squash on a baking sheet flesh-side up and rub with the olive oil. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Roast until the edges begin to ripple and a poke with a fork reveals tender flesh, about 40 minutes. Allow to cool until easy to handle.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh into a large bowl, leaving about 1/4 inch of flesh within the skin of each squash half to help it maintain its shape.
• For the filling: In a large pan on medium-high heat, add the olive oil and sausage. While cooking, break the sausage into bits like ground meat with a wooden spoon. Once some of the fat is rendered from the sausage, add the onions, paprika, pumpkin pie spice, sage, celery, bell peppers and a pinch of salt. Cook until the sausage is done and the vegetables are tender.
• Add the mixture to the bowl of squash along with the cheese, walnuts and cranberries and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Fill the hollowed squash halves with the mixture and place back in the oven to melt the cheese and make the tops golden brown, 15 more minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.

SUNNY'S QUICK WILD RICE AND SAUSAGE STUFFED SQUASH

Steps:

• For the squash: Prick the squash all over with a fork. Place on a plate and microwave, flipping halfway through, until cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool until easy to handle.
• Cut off the squash stem, then cut the squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop the flesh into a large bowl, discarding the seeds and leaving about 1/4 inch of flesh within the skin to help maintain its shape. Level off the squash halves so they rest without tilting by cutting a tiny slice off each skin side. Place on a baking sheet, flesh-side up.
• Add the rice, bocconcini, raisins, walnuts, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper to the bowl with the scooped squash and mix well to combine.
• For the sausage: Add the olive oil, onions, sausage, curry powder, thyme and salt and pepper to taste to a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking up the sausage into small crumbles, until the sausage is cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes. Add to the bowl with the squash and stir to combine.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Fill the hollowed squash halves with the mixture and roast it until the cheese melts and the tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the cilantro, drizzle over some olive oil and serve warm.