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Stuffed Yellow Squash

Having trouble eating your vegetables? Make it easier on yourself with stuffed yellow squash complete with plenty of melty cheddar cheese and of course, bacon. It will change your view on vegetables. 

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gardensquash

I’m a farmer’s wife. I accept (and welcome) that plus  the fact that my husband can’t do all this alone, I have to help. With one exception.

I hate working cows.

I can say this with all justification too–because for years I was what I call the “gate smasher”. We didn’t have a good working facility to treat sick animals, give medications, ear tags, etc. and Jeremy always waits until they’re 8 months old and 500 pounds to try to do anything with them. I’ll never understand that. So after a few rounds of “you take this little gate and smash the cow up against this fence and I’ll give them the shot” fiascos, I signed off on working cattle. (And by signing off I mean stomping my cow-poo covered legs and flinging my bruised arms in the air while I tell him to call his brothers next time he gets this stuff on his mind.)

So this morning when he came in the door and said, “We’ve got a sick calf. Come out here and get it in the head catch for  me so I can treat it.” I said what you might expect:

“Oh no way. You can do that by yourself.” But I knew he couldn’t and I had to go. And I did. I’m such a sap.

Of course now we have a head catch (which I had never used) and I stared at this big blue metal contraption and the calf in the chute behind it. “Show me how to use it…” I sighed. My 230 pound 6 foot 2 inch husband trotted over and gingerly raised the big red lever on the side. “I’ll walk the calf down and when he sticks his head through, just pull it down and catch his head in there.” He demonstrated.

“Okay. Let me try.” I said. I grabbed that handle and gave it a tug.

Nothin’.

Gonna have to pull harder. Better yet, I’m gonna have to grab that handle and pick up my feet to get it move. Swing on it. I gave it a couple of trial runs using it more like a set of monkey bars than a piece of farm equipment. “Okay I’m ready.”

Now  you  have to be quick at this stuff–so I was ready when he stuck his head through–thinking he had found a way out. Think muscles Rachel. Catch that cow. I got him.  This craziness is how I get callouses on my hands (see image below).

Cow antibiotics are as long as my fingers!
Cow antibiotics are as long as my fingers!

Once he couldn’t get away, I held firmly to the lever just in case he was able to loosen himself. Jeremy quickly treated him with antibiotics and we let him go. Easy peasy. I may not be so down on working cattle now. But that was just a baby. I’m not too sure about a mama…baby steps.

About the recipe

As usual, I have absolutely no transition to this recipe. These garden stuffed summer squash are a great way to use up the extra vegetables most of us have this time of year. If you don’t have any growing out your ears, you can get plenty of these ingredients from your farmer’s market or grocery store. They’ll be on sale.

If possible, try to get fresh basil too–it makes all the difference. We like to eat these as a side dish with grilled chicken and butter parsley herb potatoes. They’ll be a summer staple for you too. Y’all have a great day! And may there be no cow-wrangling in your future.

Garden Stuffed Summer Squash

An easy and flavorful way to use all those summer squash and vegetables. They're delicious!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 people
Author Rachel Ballard

Ingredients
  

  • 6 medium yellow squash
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped tomato seeded
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • dash pepper
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 slices bacon cooked and crumbled

Instructions
 

  • Place whole, washed squash in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil.
  • Cover and reduce heat slightly. Simmer 8 minutes.
  • Drain and cool until you can handle them.
  • Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds, leaving a firm shell.
  • Combine remaining ingredients except butter in a medium bowl.
  • Place squash in a 9x13 baking dish and spoon filling into the centers.
  • Dot with butter.
  • Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcal
Tried this recipe?Tag us on Instagram @feastandfarm and hashtag it #feastandfarm
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American

 

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9 Comments

    1. Hi Tracey, No you can’t. When any vegetable is frozen it causes the cell walls in the plants to burst. When they thaw all that water leaks out and the vegetables are super wet and very soft. That would be a really bad texture for this recipe. –Rachel

  1. I made this as a main dish and added chopped up shrimp and omitted the bacon. Only problem I has was 8 minutes boiling made the squash too soggy, but it was still good. I think my squash were too small. But, it was delish.

    1. This recipe was designed for squash that are about 3 to 4″ across at the widest point. You just need to cook them until slightly tender. –Rachel

    1. Hey Marsha, Yes they can! I’d recommend boiling the squash,cutting them in half, hulling out the seeds and then allowing them to cool. Wrap them in plastic wrap on a cookie sheet and refrigerate. I’d make the filling at the same time, but keep it separate until you are ready to bake. Sometimes adding the salted filling to the squash early can draw too much liquid out of the squash. I hope you enjoy them! –Rachel

    1. You know it Anne! Bacon makes everything better. And don’t worry about the cows–the catch isn’t near small enough to injure them. It’s just enough to keep them from backing up.

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About the Author

Rachel Ballard, RN, BSN brings more than 20 years of professional nursing expertise to Feast and Farm. With a love for nutrient dense foods that support wellness, she works to distill complex health information and current trends into recipes that fuel the best version of yourself. Read more about Rachel here.