Pork & Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

• 3 acorn squash
• 3 lbs. ground pork
• 2 granny smith apples- peeled, cored, and diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 T avocado oil
• 1 C raisins
• 1-8oz package sliced mushrooms
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 T fresh thyme
• 1 T fresh rosemary, minced
• 2 T fresh sage, minced
• 6 tsp maple syrup (omit on Whole30)

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1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the top stem portion off of the squash and then cut it down the center. Scoop out the seeds from the center and place the squash on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, flat side flush against the sheet pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Squash should be completely cooked.
2. In a large skillet on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil. Once the pan is hot, add the diced apples and continue cooking until the apples soften and slightly caramelized about 7-10 minutes. Remove the apples from the pan and set them aside.
3. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of avocado oil to the pan. Add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until they are translucent and fragrant. Add the mushroom and mix everything together.
4. Add the ground pork and chop up up into small pieces. This will chop the mushrooms up a bit as well. Continue cooking until the pork and mushrooms are fully cooked. If your pork is fatty, you will want to drain any excess fat at this point.
5. Turn the heat to medium-low and add the raisins, sea salt, thyme, rosemary, sage, and apples. Mix everything together and continue cooking for about 5-7 minutes.
6. Scoop the pork mixture into the centers of the acorn squash. The centers do not hold a lot, so you will want to add more around your squash. If you are not on a Whole30, drizzle about 1 or 2 teaspoons of maple syrup over the top of each squash before you serve it.

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