sage – The Ardent Cook

This Sweet Potato, Celery, and Apple Bake is an unexpected pairing of veggies and fruit that takes on the feeling and flavor of Thanksgiving stuffing… without all the bread. Not that bread is bad. You just maybe don’t want to devour an entire skillet-full of it on a day that isn’t Thanksgiving. Made entirely in one skillet or baking dish, this bake is quick, delicious, and perfect for an easy fall side.

Ingredients needed to make Sweet Potato, Celery, and Apple Bake

To make Sweet Potato, Celery, and Apple Bake, you’ll need a few key ingredients. The rest is simply for flavor, and you likely have most of it in your pantry already. The full list includes:

Sweet potatoes
Apples
Celery
Shallot
Fresh sage
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Love a short ingredients list!

This recipe uses fresh sage. You can easily grow it, or it can be found in the refrigerated produce section in any major grocery store!

Tools used to make Sweet Potato, Celery, and Apple Bake

The best part about this bake is the low-effort clean up. All you need to make this dish is a sharp chef’s knife for chopping, a cutting board, and a skillet or baking dish big enough to fit everything. That’s it!

How to make Sweet Potato, Celery, and Apple Bake

This recipe is simple to make using only one skillet. You’ll begin by preheating your oven and chopping your vegetables and apples. Since the sweet potatoes take a bit longer to cook than the other produce, those get added to the skillet with olive oil, sage leaves, salt, and pepper, and baked for a few minutes ahead of time. Once the potatoes are partially cooked, add the apples, celery, and shallots. Stir to combine, then return to the oven to finish cooking. That’s IT. I love to serve this bake alongside roasted chicken or turkey, or as a topping over butternut squash or sweet potato soup.

Looking for other one-skillet recipes from The Ardent Cook?

Roasted Apricot Chicken

Cheesy Corn and Poblano Casserole

Chicken with Nectarines and Crispy Prosciutto

Recipe Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large sweet potato, chopped into ½-inch cubes

4 large sage leaves

2 medium tart apples, such as Pink Lady, diced

5 stalks celery, diced

1 medium shallot, minced

½ tsp salt

Black pepper, to taste

Recipe Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place sweet potatoes and sage leaves in a cast-iron skillet and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 12 minutes.
Remove skillet from the oven, then add the apples, celery, and shallots. Season again with a pinch more of salt and pepper. Toss to combine and return to the oven for another 15-18 minutes, until vegetables are tender and slightly caramelized around the edges.
Serve immediately alongside a protein of your choice. I have paired this with both roasted chicken and grilled sausages and it never disappoints. It’s also great as a topping for creamy soups such as butternut squash or sweet potato. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3-5 days, so this is a great meal-prep option. Enjoy!

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Stuffed Acorn Squash with Buttered Sage Breadcrumbs is the perfect fall comfort dish. A filling of ground pork, celery, shallots, garlic, and apples is finished with delicious golden raisins and fresh sage and thyme. It all gets tossed with cubes of sharp Irish cheddar and stuffed inside tender roasted acorn squash. And the best part? These are topped with buttered sage breadcrumbs, which you can’t even imagine until you taste them. They are phenomenal. Caramelized squash, savory herbs, melty cheddar, crisp breadcrumbs…oh my.

Ingredients needed to make Stuffed Acorn Squash with Buttered Sage Breadcrumbs

These squash pack a lot of flavor, and therefore the ingredient list is semi-long. Don’t fret. It’s a super easy process and everything gets made in one skillet then baked on one sheet pan. Not as overwhelming as you thought, right? Here’s what you’ll need:

Acorn squash
Olive oil
Ground pork
Shallots
Celery
Apple
Fresh or dried sage
Fresh or dried thyme
Fresh garlic
Golden raisins
Sharp Irish cheddar
Salt and pepper
Sourdough or other crusty bread
Butter

Tools used to make Stuffed Acorn Squash with Buttered Sage Breadcrumbs

The filling for these squash comes together in one skillet, which makes for pretty easy clean-up. You’ll also need a sharp knife, large cutting board, a chopper or food processor (to make the breadcrumbs), and a sheet pan or baking dish. That’s a small list, right?!

How to make Stuffed Acorn Squash with Buttered Sage Breadcrumbs

Making these squash requires a few steps. First, we need to prep and chop our vegetables. You’ll want to wash and dry everything before use, then start by halving and cleaning the seeds out of the squash. Set those aside and finish chopping the shallots, celery, apples, and garlic. If you’re using fresh herbs, you can also take this time to mince those up.

The squash get roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper, for about 35-40 minutes until fork tender. Moving on to the filling, begin by heating your skillet over medium heat. You’ll sauté the pork along with the shallots and celery until the pork is cooked, then add the apples, herbs, and garlic and cook for a few minutes more. Stir in the cheddar, stuff into the squash, and top with those delicious buttered sage breadcrumbs (which take about 2 minutes to make by the way). Lastly, you’ll pop them back in the oven to melt that cheese and get the breadcrumbs nice and golden. Perfection!

Looking for other flavorful autumn recipes?

Try these other comforting dishes from The Ardent Cook!

Potato, Leek, and Corn Chowder

Roasted Apricot Chicken

Harvest Steak and Goat Cheese Bowls

Recipe Ingredients

For the Stuffed Acorn Squash

2 large acorn squash

1 tbsp olive oil

1lb ground pork

2 medium shallots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 medium apple, diced

½ tsp dried or 2 tsp fresh sage

¼ tsp dried or 1 tsp fresh thyme

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup golden raisins

½ cup sharp Irish cheddar, diced into small cubes

Salt and pepper, top taste

For the Buttered Sage Breadcrumbs

2-3 large slices sourdough or other crusty bread

3-4 fresh sage leaves

2 tbsp butter

Salt and pepper, to taste

Recipe Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and strings. Drizzle each half with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, cut side down, for 45 minutes or until squash are fork tender.
In a large skillet, brown the pork, shallots, and celery, about 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the apple, sage, thyme, and garlic and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, until the apple is just soft.
Make the breadcrumbs. Pulse the bread in a food processor or high speed blender until a crumb forms. Melt butter in a skillet and add the sage leaves. Fry the sage leaves for 1-2 minutes until crispy, then add the breadcrumbs and stir to coat in the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the sage leaves and set the breadcrumbs aside.
Remove the filling from the heat and fold in the golden raisins and cheddar cubes. Spoon the filling into each half of the squash and top with the breadcrumbs. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are golden brown.
Serve immediately, or wrap tightly in foil and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to eat, place the entire foil-wrapped squash half on a sheet tray and heat in the oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!