It’s widely known that Cajun cuisine is delicious, but many often feel guilty for how loaded with carbs it can be at times. Luckily there are ways of cooking traditional Cajun flavors of smoked andouille sausage and pork rinds while placing them within vegetables, making them healthier while still being delicious. Spice up your mealtime with this delicious andouille sausage-stuffed acorn squash recipe from the Louisiana Cookin’ food blog. Perfect for a cozy night in or as a unique feature on your next dinner party spread, this flavorful dish is sure to be a hit. Find out just how easy it is to make these andouille-stuffed acorn squash halves, plus get the tips you need to ensure that the perfect balance of flavor comes through in each bite.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 medium-sized acorn squash, halved lengthwise and fully seeded
• 2 teaspoons of Creole seasoning
• 1 pound of ground pork
• 1 pound of andouille sausage with the casings removed, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• ½ cup of celery, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 cups of chopped fresh baby spinach
• 1 teaspoon of fresh sage, chopped
• ½ cup of crushed pork rinds

Directions

1. You’ll want to begin this Creole-infused acorn squash recipe by prepping all of your ingredients by portioning and finely chopping all of the necessary pieces. Once you’re ready to put it all together, preheat your convection oven to 400°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Next, you will fully remove all of the seeds from your three medium-sized acorn squashes and halve each of them lengthwise. Take all six pieces and place them atop your foil-lined baking sheet tray. Pour your extra-virgin olive oil over the acorn squash and ensure that the oil is all over the squash with gloved hands. Then, sprinkle your Creole seasoning over the squash and place the pieces cut-side down onto the foil-lined pan.
3. Bake your seasoned acorn squash until they’re just barely tender, which should take approximately 20 minutes. Afterward, turn the squash over with the cut side facing upward, leaving the oven on.
4. Then take a large saucepan and place your ground pork into it. Take your smoked andouille sausage with the casings removed and ensure that you’ve finely chopped the sausages in a food processor and then add it to the saucepan with the ground pork. Place this large saucepan over medium-high heat and break the meat up with a wooden spoon.
5. Cook the ground pork and shredded sausage for approximately 10 minutes until the meat becomes brown and crumbly. Once the meat is of this texture and coloration, add in your chopped celery, diced bell pepper, chopped onion, and minced garlic to the pan. Cook the vegetables along with the meat while stirring occasionally with the wooden spoon until the contents of the pot become softened and fragrant, which should take about another 5 minutes to cook.
6. At this point, remove the large saucepan from the heat and fold in your two cups of chopped fresh baby spinachand the single teaspoon of chopped fresh sage. Then, spoon the cooked sausage and vegetable mixture into your squash halves and sprinkle your crushed ½ cup of pork rinds on top.
7. Bake the final product until it is heated through and golden brown, which should take about 15 to 20 minutes in total.
8. Serve each acorn squash half separately alongside steamed vegetables, a side salad, or grilled asparagus, and enjoy!

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