Bacon-Stuffed Yellow Squash

I’m always trying to get my family to eat more vegetables. Meanwhile, they ask for not-so-healthy foods like bacon. This last week I combined the two in a dish that was incredibly flavorful and delicious!

Ingredients

(Adapted from this recipe.)

• 3 medium yellow squash
• Several dashes salt and pepper
• 12 seasoned croutons or 6 round butter-flavored crackers, crushed
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 6 slices bacon
• 1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Gently scoop the pulp from each squash half, leaving 1/4-inch shells. Reserve the pulp. Arrange the squash shells in the baking dish; sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the crushed croutons or crackers with the cheese; set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 5 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. Drain half of the bacon fat from the skillet. Remove the bacon; chop into small pieces and set aside.

Add the onion and reserved squash to the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes or until the onion and squash are softened. Use a spoon to mash or break up any large pieces of squash. Return the chopped bacon to the skillet; add the drained tomatoes and garlic powder. Cook for two minutes (if the mixture is watery, use a spoon to remove the excess liquid from the skillet). Spoon the mixture into the squash shells.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the shells are tender. Remove from the oven and top with the cheese mixture. Return to the oven and bake an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese melts. Yield: 6 servings.

Click here to view nutrition facts and a printable copy of the recipe.

Notes

These were absolutely delicious! The diced tomatoes and green chilies added a little spice to the dish and complemented the savory flavor of the bacon quite well. Honestly, my only qualm with the dish is that it takes a bit of work to prepare. I’ll definitely make it again in the future, but I may try slicing the squash and lining the baking dish with it, then topping the squash with the bacon mixture and cheese. This would take a lot less time than the process described above.

If you don’t want to use bacon or don’t have any on hand, this recipe would also be delicious if prepared with sausage, ground beef, or ground turkey. You could also top it with other varieties of cheese. Have fun experimenting!

Have you tried any flavorful new dishes lately? I’d love to hear about them!

Shared at the following:

Homestead Blog Hop, Weekend Potluck, Busy Monday, What’s for Dinner? and Encouraging Hearts and Home.