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I’m always on the search for more savory cranberry recipes, especially if there’s no added sugar in the recipe. This can be difficult, though, because it can be hard to balance the super tart cranberries without adding some kind of sweetener. My Sausage and Cranberry Stuffed Delicata Squash is the perfect balanced recipe to incorporate cranberries without being too sweet or sentimental about the holidays. This recipe can be made whenever fresh cranberries are in season, and you’ll be sure to make it many times this winter.
In fact, my husband finished his half so quickly, he said “you have to keep this in the rotation!” I’ll take that to mean this is a winner!
Cranberries: Not just for the Holidays!
Each year, I can’t wait for cranberries to come back in season. These tart berries are usually only seen around Thanksgiving and maaaaybe Christmas, when they’re used as a sweet sauce for the roast. But there’s so much more you can do with cranberries than sauces.
Use cranberries any time you need a punch of tartness to cut through something especially sweet, salty, or rich. There’s a lot of flavor packed in each small berry, so a little bit goes a long way. Don’t just pair cranberries with your Thanksgiving turkey; cranberries are also an excellent match for green beans, brisket, soft cheeses, and even sweet winter squashes.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Fresh Cranberries
If you’ve only had canned cranberry sauce, you are in for a treat with fresh cranberries. Unlike the sickly sweet gelatinous mess that is canned cranberry sauce, fresh cranberries have a delightful tartness that pairs beautifully with sweet squash. No sugar needed here!
You only need one cup of fresh cranberries for this recipe. Still have a ton on cranberries leftover? Check out my post here for more savory cranberry recipes.
Wheat Berries
Wheat berries are the whole kernel from the wheat stalk; this is what is ground up to make whole wheat flour. But, you don’t need to do any extra processing to cook them up, they’re actually quite tasty when cooked up whole and add great texture to grain salads and stuffings.
I picked up a bag of wheat berries at my local farmers market, but I have also seen wheat berries for sale at many grocery stores, including Costco.
Be sure to rinse your wheat berries thoroughly. Tiny rocks and sticks about the same size as the wheat berries have a tendency to make it past the initial sifting and sorting process, and you’ll want to take the time to remove those.
Need a gluten-free option? Use quinoa instead. Quinoa has a similar nutty flavor to the wheat berries, but are safe for those avoiding gluten. The overall texture will be slightly different, as quinoa is smaller and less crunchy, but I can assure you the flavor is just as good. Substitute at a 1:1 ratio.
Delicata Squash
Delicata squash is a sweet, thin-skinned winter squash. In this recipe, I used honeyboat delicata, which is an especially sweet squash variety. However, any delicata squash will be delicious with the sausage and cranberry stuffing.
You do not need to peel delicata squash. Simply slice in half lengthwise and scoop the seeds out. It’ll sound weird, but the best tool I could recommend for scooping squash seeds out is a melon baller. The sharp edge on the melon baller is excellent at
Other winter squashes can be stuffed just like this delicata squash! Try this same sausage and cranberry stuffing in an acorn squash, or try one of the varieties I list here.
Tips and Tricks
If you’ve never cooked wheat berries before, you may be surprised by how they cook up. In fact, I had expected them to be similar to wild rice, but they’re really quite different and can take quite a bit of time, especially when cooking them on the stove. For this reason, I recommend cooking up a large batch, and then storing the cooked wheat berries in the freezer.
Stovetop
Cooking wheat berries on the stovetop is easy, but it does take time. After rinsing your wheat berries, add them to a pot of boiling water; the ratio should be 3:1 water to wheat berries. Simmer the wheat berries until soft and tender. The kernels will be chewy, but they should not be hard or crunchy in the middle. This process can take over an hour for 1 cup of dried wheat berries to cook.
Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker)
If you happen to have an Instant Pot or another similar pressure cooker, I highly recommend using it to cook the wheat berries. This will cut your cook time in half when compared to the stovetop method (30-45 minutes as opposed to over an hour). Sapana from Real and Vibrant has the method detailed over here.
Serving Suggestions
I recommend cooking one delicata squash for every two people; this translates to one stuffed half per person. It is very easy to scale this recipe up or down depending on the number of servings you need.
If you want to serve a salad alongside this sausage and cranberry stuffed delicata squash, go simple. Something like this arugula salad with parmesan is ideal, as it is quick to throw together and the pepperiness of the arugula is a nice counterpoint to the squash.
What about the Leftovers?
Leftover stuffed squash halves can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat the halves in the oven set at 350F for approximately 20 minutes or until warmed through.
However, I recommend saving the leftover sausage and cranberry stuffing separately from the delicata squash. This allows you to do a “leftover makeover” with each part. The sausage and cranberry stuffing is excellent when mixed with some arugula as a salad the next day. And any leftover delicata squash can be cut into cubes or slices and fried up as a side later.
Sausage and Cranberry Stuffed Delicata Squash
My Sausage and Cranberry Stuffed Delicata Squash is the perfect balanced recipe to incorporate cranberries without being too sweet or sentimental about the holidays.
Ingredients
Delicata Squash
- 1 delicata squash
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- ½ yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8oz Italian sausage (approximately 2 links, casings removed)
- 1 cup whole cranberries
- 1 ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
- Kosher salt and pepepr, to taste
- 1 cup wheat berries, cooked
Instructions
Prepare the Delicata Squash
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cut delicata squash in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds.
- Brush each half with the avocado oil, and place face down on a lined baking tray. Roast in the oven for 30-35m or until squash is tender.
Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing
- Heat avocado oil in a medium-sized sauté pan. Sauté chopped onions and garlic until soft and translucent.
- Turn heat to medium high and add the Italian sausage. Brown the sausage and crumble it into the onions and garlic.
- Reduce heat back to medium and add the cranberries, apple cider vinegar, and thyme. Sauté until cranberries burst open, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add cooked wheat berries to the stuffing mixture and mix together. Continue to warm the mixture until the squash has finished roasting.
- Once the squash has finished roasting, flip each half over and add the sausage and cranberry stuffing to the center of the squash.
- Transfer each half onto plates and serve hot.
Notes
This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled to increase the number of servings. Cook one delicata squash for every two people.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 803Total Fat: 53gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 42gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 450mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 11gSugar: 9gProtein: 30g
Calculated nutrition values are not always accurate, but can provide a general idea for planning purposes. Please do not rely on this information as it may not be complete. Recipes that include unusual ingredients, especially scrap ingredients, will have the least accurate information with this calculator.
