Stuffed Butternut Squash Recipe (vegan!)

We planted a garden last summer. It yielded more than we would have imagined. Especially the squash, which is good, because I live in a family that is addicted to squash. We still have oodles of squash in our basement from months ago. Spaghetti squash, acorn squash, butternut squash, and a few Turk's turbans. So I decided I'd cook some for dinner tonight.

Here's one of the many amazing things about squash. When you cook it, it makes your house reek of summer. A few other amazing things about it? It's loaded with beta carotene, vitamin C, and fiber. Plus, it's cheap when you buy it and it's so freaking delicious.

So anyway, I made my house reek of summer tonight, I fried up some vegan breakfast sausage, and I put together what has become one of my favorite (vegan) winter comfort foods! Here's the recipe!

Ingredients

• 2 Butternut squash, cut in half and seeds removed
• 1 C water
• 2 T coconut oil (olive oil will work as well)
• 1 package Gimme Lean Breakfast Sausage
• A few pieces of cut up, stale bread or some croutons
• 2 T Maple syrup
• 1 T dried oregano
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 375º.
2. Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Place flesh side down in 9x13 casserole dishes (you'll likely need two of them). Add 1/2 C water to each baking dish.
3. Cook squash for one hour. You may need to cook it for longer. Check the squash by poking it with a fork. If it's soft and easily punctured, it's done.
4. Meanwhile, heat coconut (or olive) oil in a pan. When oil is hot, cook the Gimme Lean sausage according to package directions, making sure to crumble it as it cooks. (You can also use regular breakfast sausage here, if you'd like!)
5. Remove squash from oven and flip (BE CAREFUL, IT IS HOT!). Layer sausage and bread into the "cup" parts of the squash until they are heaping. 
6. Drizzle the syrup over each squash half equally, followed by oregano, salt, and pepper. If you like spice, throw in some crushed red pepper! We did and it was awesome!
7. Put squash back into the oven, still heated at 375º, and cook for another 10 minutes. 
8. Remove from oven and let cool for at least ten minutes. Serve in skin and enjoy with a nice white wine!