Squash season is the cozy season. It is a time when I want filling meals that are easy meals to make. This recipe is great because you fill the squash with all the goodness, add in some cheese and bake away. 

Ingredients:

• 1 Acorn Squash (1.5-2 lbs)
• 1 lbs of sausage (mild or spicy)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup of wild rice, cooked
• 15 oz of cannellini beans, drained 
• 8 oz of low moisture Mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
• 4 oz of parmesan cheese, shredded 
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° 
2. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Clean out seeds. Poke holes in flesh of squash with a fork and drizzle with olive oil and salt. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour or until the flesh is fork tender. 
3. In a heavy duty pan saute the sausage (and a little olive oil if needed) until golden brown. 
4. Take the sausage out of the pan and pour into a large bowl.
5. In the same pan add onions and garlic and saute until golden brown. Add beans and rice and mix carefully. Pour onion mixture into a bowl with sausage. Mix carefully. 
6. Pull out squash and let cool. 
7. Scrap the flesh out of the squash, being sure not to break the skin. 
8. Mix the squash flesh in with the sausage mixture. 
9. Add some of the sausage and squash mixture back into the bottom of the square skin. Layer in 1/3 of mozzarella cheese, add more sausage mixture, ⅓ of mozzarella cheese and again more sausage mixture and last ⅓ of mozzarella cheese. Then top with parmesan cheese. Place back into heated oven and bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and just about to brown (about 10 minutes) 
10. Pull out of the oven, add salt and ground pepper to taste and enjoy while warm.

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Enjoy,

Elizabeth