Stuffed Butternut Squash with Boerewors

Start by making the stuffing for your squash. Bring a medium-sized pot to medium-high heat. Add in the butter, and let that melt. Toss in your lentils, rice and barley and give this a good stir. Cook, and continue to stir for a few minutes until rice starts to turn translucent. Next add the carrots and onion. Season with salt and pepper, then toss in the red chard. Stir, then add in your chicken stock. Give another good stir, then put the lid on and simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove from the heat, and partially open the lid to prevent it from over cooking.

Preheat your oven to 425 F.

Once you have sliced your squash, take a knife and make score marks down the length of the flesh, about 1/2 inch down (don’t cut all the way through to the skin). Rub the skin with the canola oil, and place the squash onto a baking sheet, skin side up. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes.

During this time, heat another large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the Boerewors sausage to the preheated skillet and cook until the sausage is fully cooked and browned. Make sure you crumble it along the way. Add the lentil mixture into the sausage, give a good toss and stir.

When the squash are done cooking, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool until you can handle the squash, about 10 minutes. Keep the oven on. Carefully turn the squash over, and use a spoon to remove the cooked squash from the skin, leaving the shell intact.

Add the squash flesh into the lentil and sausage mixture, mixing well, then add this back into the cavity of the squash. Place the stuffed squash back into the baking dish and into the preheated 425 F oven and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the sausage mixture gets nice and crunchy.

Plate and serve.

The result is nothing but a truly comforting fall recipe. The lentils are not over-cooked so there is still a bite to them, and when paired with the chard and carrots, you know you are in good hands. It reminds you of a warm bite of mashed potatoes, but then you get this great texture and spice of the Boerewors sausage that just brings everything together. Let’s just say my wife fell in love with this one.