In Good FlavorThis skillet cooked sausage, butternut, and spinach side dish is not only perfect for fall but it is also a great accompaniment for any holiday meal. With toasted pumpkin seeds and cracker crumb topping for added texture and crunch, it is sure to satisfy.
What is your favorite way to have butternut squash? My go-to is mashed with cinnamon, butter, and a touch of sugar. It might be a little boring to you, but it always hits the spot for me!
This latest creation is anything but boring. Tender chunks of butternut give a touch of sweetness that balances the saltiness of the Italian sausage. Silky spinach adds nutrition and a pop of color while toasted pumpkin seeds provide a snappy crunch. Finally, cracker crumb topping adds texture, butteriness, and nuttiness. Doesn’t that sound like the making of a great dish?
This latest creation is anything but boring. Tender chunks of butternut give a touch of sweetness that balances the saltiness of the Italian sausage. Silky spinach adds nutrition and a pop of color while toasted pumpkin seeds provide a snappy crunch. Finally, cracker crumb topping adds texture, butteriness, and nuttiness. Doesn’t that sound like the making of a great dish?
Seasoned with rosemary and sage, this dish has a bit of a holiday vibe and is a perfect for any upcoming holiday meal. For this recipe, I use fresh rosemary. I rarely incorporate sage into my cooking, so I choose to forgo fresh and opted to use the dry ground sage that was on hand. To substitute with fresh, just double the amount. This recipe calls for 1 1/2 teaspoon dry ground sage, so replace it with 1 tablespoon of fresh finely chopped sage.
To substitute rosemary, use a 1:3 ratio. One part of dry rosemary is equivalent to 3 parts of fresh. One teaspoon of dry rosemary can replace the 1 tablespoon of fresh required in the recipe.
Enough of that! I’ll stop boring you with the basic math now.
This side dish is so hearty, it can qualify as a meal. It practically has all the food group covered! Plus, it’s so loaded with sweet Italian sausage, butternut, and spinach that it fills you up and keeps you satisfied.
We have not celebrated Halloween yet and I’m already talking about holiday dinners! But the holidays will be here before you know it. I hope you’ll keep this one in mind. It is a delicious one pot dish that cooks in less than 30 minutes. AND it got great reviews!! My neighbors were ready and willing to take some away when I asked for taste testers…not once, but twice!!
Other easy meals you might like:
- Garlic Rosemary Chicken with Lemony Orzo
- One-Pot Cheesy Chicken and Gnocchi
- One-Pot Campanelle American Chop Suey
- Jalapeño Shredded Beef and Polenta
- Spaghetti with Beef and Linguica Red Sauce
SKILLET SAUSAGE BUTTERNUT AND SPINACH WITH CRUMB TOPPING INGREDIENTS:
1 pound sweet Italian sausage links
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dry)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (or 1 1/2 teaspoon ground)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups (about 1 1/3 pound) butternut, chopped into 1/2 to 3/4 inch chunks
2 1/2 cups frozen chopped spinach leaves (about 8 oz. fresh)
1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1 1/2 tablespoon butter, melted
18 Ritz crackers, pounded into crumbs
INSTRUCTIONS:
Remove and discard the outer casing of the sausages.
Preheat a large skillet on medium high heat. Add oil then sausages. Cook for a couple minutes, breaking up into small chunks. Add onion, garlic, butternut, rosemary, sage, salt and pepper. Cook for a minute, stirring frequently. Cover and reduce heat to medium-medium low. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until butternut is tender.
Preheat a large skillet on medium high heat. Add oil then sausages. Cook for a couple minutes, breaking up into small chunks. Add onion, garlic, butternut, rosemary, sage, salt and pepper. Cook for a minute, stirring frequently. Cover and reduce heat to medium-medium low. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until butternut is tender.
Stir in frozen spinach. Cook for 5 minutes with the cover off. Stir in pumpkin seeds.
In a large bowl, drizzle melted butter onto cracker crumbs. Use a fork to toss and incorporate the butter into the crackers. Sprinkle the cracker crumbs into the skillet.
Broil on low for a minute or two, until the crumbs are golden brown. Remove and serve.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
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Oooh! This looks so yummy and I would totally have this for dinner. I love all the satisfying fall flavors here – sage and rosemary, sausage, butternut squash. Add a salad and a glass of wine and I'm happy woman. 🙂
Thanks Annemarie! What is it about the chilly weather that makes us appreciate these fall flavors so much? I had this for dinner one night but I need to follow your lead next time next time and add a glass of vino! 🙂
My favorite way with butternut squash or pumpkin are spicy wedges in the oven, I could eat them all the time. This recipe is also the kind of recipe that always gets my attention, unfortunately I like sausages more than I should, they are not exactly health food, but again, I could eat them daily, probably. any kind of sausages, if you gave me the choice between sausages and chocolate or any kind of sweets, I would always go for sausage…
You're making me crave those wedges right now! I can understand how you could pass on chocolate and go for sausages. They are fatty, salty, full of flavor, and so irresistible!
I actually like to make soup with butternut squash – or just roast it! But this sounds delicious, a perfect Thanksgiving side. I'm a sucker for fresh sage!
Thanks Danielle! Both of your choices are wonderful! Butternut is so versatile and can do no wrong. 🙂
You may not know this about me, but I LOVE sausage. Like, LOVE it. I also really, really like butternut squash. This skillet is basically made for me! It's such a delicious looking fall meal. Can't wait to try it!
Haha! I didn't know that, but that's awesome!! I thought you're more of a chicken and broccoli kind of girl, and while that is great, sausages are pretty dang tasty! I'm so glad that this dish is your kind of thang, Katherine! I hope you get a chance to try it! 🙂
yum!! my go to for butternut squash is roasted w herbs and garlic, so this looks like a tasty way to mix things up (:
It is a little more caloric than roasting, but it is an nice change of pace 🙂
The color are spectacular. This would be beautiful on a fall or holiday table!
Thank you Inger! I think it's great too!