An easy recipe to serve any time of day, from a hearty breakfast to comforting weeknight dinner. I recommend using breakfast sausage for this recipe because it has a hint of sweetness and a milder blend of spices than Italian sausage. Breakfast sausage compliments, rather than competes with, the sage. Using the breakfast sausage also makes this dish an easy sell any time of day.
Into a 4 quart or larger crock-pot, add the chicken stock then cover and set on high heat.
In a large skillet, brown the sausage and onions, break the sausage into crumbles as it cooks and sprinkle with a pinch each of salt and pepper. When the sausage has cooked through and is brown around the edges, stir in the sage and continue cooking for an additional minute.
Transfer the sausage and onion mixture to the warm crock-pot then add the oats, squash, wine and a few hearty grinds of black pepper.