Stuffed Yellow Squash

As featured in The Applegatarian.

"I came up with this dish when I was 8, living in my hometown of Childress, Texas, where we grew lots of summer squash and tomatoes in our garden. This recipe was my first 4-H food project, and I ended up winning first place in our county and second place in our district. Everyone in my family loves this dish, and we often make it for the holidays. The key is to not overcook the squash when you're boiling them, but otherwise, feel free to make it your own!"

Adria Adams, Applegate Raw Meat Quality Assurance Manager

Gluten-Free Products

Serves 12 | Total Time: Less Than 60 Mins

Ingredients

6 yellow squash (summer squash) 1 cup diced red onion
1 cup diced ripe tomato
1 cup diced green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 slices APPLEGATE®SUNDAY BACON®bacon or APPLEGATE®Turkey Bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Wash the squash well and trim the ends. Place in a large pot and fill with water until covered. Bring to a boil, then boil the squash until just tender when pierced with a fork, about 8 minutes. (Take care not to overcook the squash.)
Drain the squash well.
Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scrape the squash flesh into a bowl, leaving about ½-inch shell all around. Place the shells on the lined baking sheet.
Using a fork, smash the squash flesh in the bowl so that no big chunks remain. Add the onion, tomato, bell pepper, garlic, salt, and pepper and stir until well combined.
Spoon the mixture into the squash shells. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon and shredded cheese over the tops.
Bake until tender and golden brown and the cheese is melted, 15-20 minutes. Serve at once.

Note: Add cooked ground turkey or beef to the filling mixture to make this a full meal. Add some diced hot peppers for heat if you like. The squash boats can be assembled, but not baked, up to 4 hours ahead of time and refrigerated, wrapped well.