Stuffed Acorn Squash

Pierce skin of each acorn squash and microwave on high for 4 minutes. Remove from microwave and let cool. Once cool, slice squash in half, cutting between the grooves in the squash. Scrape out seeds and discard.

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Brush each squash half with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Place squash flesh side down on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.

While squash are roasting, cook sausage in a skillet until cooked through. Add quartered mushrooms and dried thyme. Sauté until mushrooms are softened, but not mushy.

Remove squash from the oven and carefully flip them flesh side up. Spoon the sausage and mushroom mixture on top of each squash half and the sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place the squash back in the oven for 10 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Nutrition for 1 serving of the filling: 621 calories, 53g fat, 3g carbs, 1g fiber, 31g protein

The nutrition varies for acorn squash because of the size differences. For 1 cup of acorn squash cubes, the nutrition is 56 calories, 14g carbs, 2g fiber.