This sausage and butternut squash makes a fantastic side or main dish.
In this Fall inspired dish, savory sausage pairs beautifully with butternut squash and sweet apples. This is a great meal to enjoy when the air starts to turn a little chilly and Fall is just around the corner. Serve it on its own, or on a bed of wild and brown rice, for a filling and satisfying meal.
Sausage and butternut squash ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Canola, or use your favorite neutral oil
- 1 Small Onion, finely diced (use yellow or white but not red)
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 pound Pork Sausage, casings removed and torn into pieces or use bulk sausage
- 1½ pound Butternut Squash, peeled and cut into roughly 1 inch cubes
- Pinch of Salt, plus extra if needed at the end
- ½ cup Chicken Broth
- 1 pound Apples, cored, peeled and cut into cubes (about 4 small apples) – use an apple that is suitable for cooking
- ¼ cup Sliced Almonds, toasted
- You will also need: Lemon-lime soda or lemon/lime juice to keep the apples from browning once they’re peeled
What type of apple to use
The apples give this dish a delicious hint of sweetness. But not just any apple will do, use one that will hold up to cooking. Here are some varieties that are suitable for cooking. Their availability will depend on the time of year and your region. If you have leftover apples, try these delicious cinnamon apples.
- Granny Smith – the flavor is acidic and tart, it has a light green skin, the flesh is juicy and stays firm when baked
- Cortland – juicy, sweet and slightly tart apple with a bright red skin
- Braeburn – sweet with a crisp texture, their color is reddish orange with a yellow base
- Honeycrisp – sweet with a crisp texture, the skin has a green/yellow background with red tones
- Jonathans – sweet with just a touch of acidity, the skin is red with yellow/green undertones
- Gala – sweet and crisp with orange/red skin, they’re popular and usually, readily available
- Fuji – sweet with a touch of tart, it has a crisp texture and the color is pinkish over a yellow/green background
- Rome Beauty (also known as Rome or Red Rome) – sweet with dense, crispy flesh, it has a dark red color
- Pink Lady – sweet and tart, the color is a blush red/pink mixed with green
Prep Work
There’s some prep work involved with this recipe but it’s totally worth it! Here are some tips for peeling butternut squash, how to keep apples from browning and how to toast almonds quickly on a skillet.
How to peel butternut squash
Peeling butternut squash can be tricky. It has a tough peel, rendering a peeler useless. Instead we need to remove the peel with a knife. Here’s the best, and easiest way I’ve found to peel butternut squash.
- Set the squash on a flat, non-slip cutting board and slice off both ends.
- Cut the butternut squash into two pieces. Slice right above the rounded part.
- Cut the solid, cylinder piece in two.
- Cut off a thin section of the peel at a time as you work your way around the entire piece. Repeat with the remaining cylinder piece.
- Cut the rounded piece in half.
- Remove the seeds using a large spoon.
- Until the butternut squash is completely hollowed out.
- Set the squash on the widest part and cut off thin sections working your way around. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
Finally cut the peeled butternut squash into approximately 1 inch pieces.
Prepare the apples
Core, peel and dice the apples into roughly 1 inch pieces. Don’t cut them too small. Toss the apples with a few tablespoons of lemon-lime soda to prevent them from browning. Remember to drain the apples before adding them to the skillet.
Toast the almonds
Place the almonds in a skillet over medium heat, cook for 5-6 minutes until they’re lightly golden. Shake the skillet often and keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. Remove the skillet from the heat or they will continue browning and could burn.
Prep the remaining ingredients
- Remove the sausage from its casing, if not using bulk
- Dice the onions
- Mince the garlic
- Measure out the chicken broth
Cook the sausage and butternut squash
- Heat the oil in a large, deep, skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until they start to soften and become translucent, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the sausage to the skillet and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook the sausage for 5-6 minutes until browned. Stir almost constantly while breaking up large pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Add the butternut squash, a pinch of salt and the chicken broth to the skillet. Stir to combine. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the apples and the toasted almonds, stir to combine. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until the butternut squash and apples are tender but not falling apart, stir occasionally. Uncover the skillet for the last 5 minutes of cooking to allow any excess liquid to evaporate.
- Taste and add salt, if needed. Serve the sausage and butternut squash on its own as a side dish, or on a bed of brown and wild rice for a satisfying, filling meal.
You may also like these recipes:
- Tortellini Tomato Soup
- Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Creamy Pumpkin Soup
- Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
- Sausage White Bean and Kale Soup
📖 Recipe
Sausage and Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Canola or use your favorite neutral oil
- 1 Small Onion finely diced (use yellow or white but not red)
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 pound Pork Sausage casings removed and torn into pieces or use bulk sausage
- 1½ pound Butternut Squash peeled and cut into roughly 1 inch cubes
- Pinch of Salt plus extra if needed at the end
- ½ cup Chicken Broth
- 1 pound Apples cored, peeled and cut into cubes (about 4 small apples) – use an apple that is suitable for cooking
- ¼ cup Sliced Almonds toasted
Instructions
- You will also need: Lemon-lime soda or lemon/lime juice to keep the apples from browning once they’re peeled
Toast the almonds
- Place the almonds in a skillet over medium heat, cook for 5-6 minutes until they’re lightly golden. Shake the skillet often and keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Cook the sausage and butternut squash
- Heat the oil in a large, deep, skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until they start to soften and become translucent, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the sausage to the skillet and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook for 5-6 minutes until browned. Stir almost constantly while breaking up large pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Add the butternut squash, a pinch of salt and the chicken broth to the skillet. Stir to combine. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the apples and the toasted almonds, stir to combine. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until the butternut squash and apples are tender but not falling apart, stir occasionally. Uncover the skillet for the last 5 minutes of cooking, to allow any excess liquid to evaporate.
- Taste and add salt, if needed. Serve the sausage and butternut squash on its own as a side dish, or on a bed of brown or wild rice for a satisfying, filling meal.
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