Butternut Squash Stuffing

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 dash pumpkin pie spice
• 1 butternut squash
• optional 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage (with fennel and/or anise seeds)
• option 1/2 cups celery, nuts, dried fruits, leeks, fennel, etc

1. Prepare squash. Peel butternut squash, remove seeds and cut into 1/2" cubes. Place squash cubes on a buttered or parchment paper lined baking sheet and sprinkle with a dash of pumpkin pie spice, salt and pepper and cook for about 40 minutes at 350F.
2. Heat chicken stock and set aside to simmer. Cook chopped onion in 1 tbsp of butter in a a large saucepan.
3. Prepare risotto: add arborio rice, barley and 1 more tbsp butter to onion and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken stock in 3 additions (2 cups each) to rice and barley, letting each 2 cup addition be absorbed by the rice, about 15 minutes for each addition.
4. With the last addition of stock, add the butternut squash to the risotto mixture and any other stuffing-like additions: dried fruits, carrots, celery, nuts, sausage, etc. Serve warm. Reheats very nicely. Resembles Thanksgiving style stuffing.

butter, onion, arborio rice, pearl barley, lowsodium, pumpkin pie spice, butternut squash, sweet italian sausage, celery

Taken from food52.com/recipes/31120-butternut-squash-stuffing (may not work)