Sausage and Rice-Stuffed Acorn Squash

Recipe from myrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 (12-ounce) delicata squashes, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 (1-pound) red onion, cut into 12 wedges
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• Cooking spray
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Place whole squashes in a roasting pan. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes or until just tender. Let stand for 15 minutes. Halve squashes. Scoop out seeds; discard.
3. Preheat broiler to high.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add Italian sausage to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove sausage from pan; drain on paper towels. Wipe drippings from pan with a paper towel.
5. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add celery; sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in sausage, rice, and next 5 ingredients (through Parmesan). Divide rice mixture evenly among squash halves. Sprinkle evenly with Swiss cheese. Arrange squash halves on a baking sheet; broil 4 minutes or until golden and cheese is melted.

Makes: Serves 4 (serving size: 1 stuffed squash)