Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash

Name: Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 100 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon butter, ghee, or avocado oil; 2 pounds Italian sausage, (hot or mild); 2 small-medium sized butternut squash, (halved lengthwise and deseeded); ½ teaspoon salt; 1 large pomegranate; 4 ounces goat cheese; ¼ cup grapefruit juice; 2 tablespoons honey; 1 tablespoon grapefruit zest; ½ teaspoon salt

This stuffed butternut squash is the perfect tasty, healthy whole meal for your fall table. Complete with spicy Italian sausage, butternut squash, bright pomegranate seeds, and a tangy grapefruit goat cheese sauce, you will want to put this dish on repeat.

This spicy sausage stuffed butternut squash is one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Truly! There’s something really special about the combination of sweet butternut squash, crispy, spicy Italian sausage, bright pomegranate seeds, and the silky, smooth, tangy grapefruit goat cheese sauce that I just can’t get enough of.

This meal is also incredibly family-friendly, so keep that in mind as you plan your week! If spicy isn’t your thing (or you have kiddos that are sensitive to spice), know that you can absolutely use a mild Italian sausage instead of a spicy one.

Looking for more butternut squash recipes? We’ve got a handful! This butternut squash lasagna is swoon-worthy, this butternut squash soup is bold and delicious, and this harvest kale salad is really, really special.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s easy – you’ll need to brown the sausage, but beyond that, there isn’t a whole lot of hands-on cooking to be done.
It’s delicious – the flavors of this recipe go together so beautifully – you’re going to love it!
It’s family-friendly – as mentioned above, this recipe is totally family-friendly. If you have little ones (or big ones!) that are sensitive to spice, simply opt for a mild Italian sausage instead of a spicy one.

Recipe Ingredients for Stuffed Butternut Squash

You don’t need a whole lot to make this show-stopper of a recipe! Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.

Italian sausage – spicy or mild both work here, so use whichever works best for your family!
Pomegranate seeds – feel free to grab a whole pomegranate and de-seed it yourself (that’s what we did) or make things super easy on yourself and grab a container of pomegranate seeds. If you are de-seeding your own pomegranate, be sure to check out our tutorial!
Grapefruit – we chose grapefruit zest and juice for the goat cheese sauce, but if grapefruit isn’t your thing, know that you can absolutely use lemon zest/juice instead.

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Recipe Variations and Modifications

Use a different type of sausage – bulk breakfast sausage would be delicious here too, so feel free to use that if you have it on hand.
Make it dairy-free – to make this recipe dairy-free, simply use a dairy-free goat cheese (if you can find one) or swap the goat cheese for mayo.
Make it grain-free – this recipe is grain-free as-is!
Make it gluten-free – same as above – this recipe is gluten-free as written.

How to Make Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash

This recipe is incredibly easy to make! Follow along below.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Add the butter to a large frying pan over high heat. Once melted, add the sausage. Using a spoon to break it up as it cooks, cook the sausage until it’s brown and slightly crispy, about 10 minutes.

Step 2: Place the halved butternut squash cut-side up in a large casserole dish or on a large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with the sea salt. Once browned, spoon the sausage over the squash, tint the top with a sheet of aluminum foil (lightly it place it on top), and bake at 375°F for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until a fork slides easily into the thickest part of the squash.

Step 3: While the squash is in the oven, I suggest de-seeding the pomegranate and make the sauce! To make the sauce, whisk or blend all of the ingredients together until smooth.

Step 4: Once cooked, sprinkle the top of the squash with the pomegranate seeds, drizzle the sauce over top, finish with the fresh thyme, and serve.

Make-Ahead Tips

While this recipe is mostly hands-off, it does take a bit of time to cook the squash. If you don’t have an hour and 30 minutes (give or take a few minutes) to make this dinner from start to finish during the week, feel free to make a couple of components ahead of time so that the night of is super easy. Here’s how you can get ahead:

Pre-bake the squash – cut the butternut squash in half (if this intimidates you, check out our tutorial on how to cut butternut squash) and bake it, cut side-up, in a 375°F for an hour. Once it’s out of the oven, let the squash cool and then store it in the fridge for up to a week.
Pre-cook the sausage – cook and crumble the sausage until slightly crispy, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Make the sauce – whisk or blend the sauce ingredients together and then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
De-seed the pomegranate – if you bought a whole pomegranate, feel free to go ahead and de-seed it on your prep day, then store it in the fridge for up to a week.

If you do the prep above, you’ll just need to stuff the squash with the crispy sausage and bake it in a 375°F oven for 15-20 minutes, until warmed through.

How to Serve

Serve your squash all on its own for a complete, satisfying, delicious meal, or, if you’re looking for a green veggie to serve alongside your stuffed squash, this simple arugula salad would be a delicious pick!

How to Store

Store your leftover stuffed squash in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

For a longer storage option, feel free to freeze the stuffed squash! Here’s how you’ll do it:

For an entire batch – wrap tightly with plastic and then with aluminum foil, then freeze for up to 5 months.
For individual servings – cut each squash piece in half and spoon a full serving into either a glass container (if you prefer), a plastic bag, or plastic wrap. If wrapped in plastic, place those pieces into a large plastic bag labeled with the name and date of the dish. Place in the freezer for up to 5 months.

How to Reheat from Frozen

To reheat in the oven – place a squash piece, several pieces, or the entire pan in the oven while it’s cool. Turn the oven up to 375°F and set a timer for 30 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes (depending on the number of pieces). Remove when bubbly, but not burnt.
To reheat in the microwave – place a single serving on a plate, cover, and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until cooked through.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you eat the skin on a stuffed butternut squash?

The skin of a butternut squash is thin and easy to eat, so feel free to eat it, if you’d like! That said, if you’d rather peel it, that’s totally fine too.

Do I need to peel butternut squash before roasting?

You don’t! You’ll roast the butternut squash in the skin and then either serve it with the skin on or scoop the stuffed butternut squash out of the skin to serve it.

How can you tell if a butternut squash has gone bad?

Soft, slimy, or brown spots on the squash will indicate that the squash is starting to turn, so steer clear if you see those!

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