Auntie Dawns Stuffed Squash Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Cook and stir bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon and discard most of the drippings, leaving about 2 teaspoons bacon drippings in the skillet. Drain bacon on paper towels. Cook and stir onion in the hot drippings until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Stir cooked bacon, dates, oregano, and basil into onion; add chicken stock to thin the filling.
• Cut the top and stem from the squash, jack o'lantern-style, and scoop out seeds and stringy pulp. Cut out and discard small button at the bottom of the squash. Stuff the date filling into the cavity and replace the top. Set squash into a baking dish, pour in 1/2 inch of water, and cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until squash is tender, 40 minutes to 1 hour. Test for doneness by removing top and inserting a thin, sharp knife into the flesh at the bottom. Slice squash into wedges to serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Have ready a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Slice off 1 inch crosswise from stem end of each squash; set aside. Using a melon baller, remove the flesh from squash, bottoms and tops, leaving 1/8-inch-thick shells. Coarsely chop the flesh; set aside. Place the squash bottoms and tops in a steamer, and steam until just tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from steamer; set on a wire rack, cut side down.
• In a large skillet, heat olive oil over high heat. Add onions, garlic, and reserved chopped squash. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Remove from pan, and transfer to a medium bowl.
• Make the filling: Return skillet to heat; add lamb, and cook, breaking up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon, until crumbly and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in wine, and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute. Transfer meat to the squash mixture, and add breadcrumbs, pine nuts, currants, feta, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, mint, and 3 tablespoons tomato sauce. Stir well to combine.
• Stuff the squash to the rims with the meat mixture. Place the squash tops on top. Pour the remaining tomato sauce into the baking dish, and place the stuffed squash in the sauce. Bake until the squash are tender, about 30 minutes. Divide the sauce among the plates, place the squash on top, and serve.

Steps:

• Wrap each squash half with plastic wrap.
• Place wrapped squash, cut side down, in microwave; cook on high until squash is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Leave squash wrapped while preparing filling.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir red bell pepper, radish, leek, celery, jalapeno pepper, and garlic in the hot oil until softened, about 10 minutes. Add vegetable stock and rice; stir to combine. Cover and simmer until broth is absorbed and rice is tender, about 45 minutes.
• Sprinkle greens into rice mixture; cover and simmer until greens are wilted, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder, curry paste, and walnuts to rice mixture; stir to combine.
• Unwrap squash and set halves, cut sides up, into 4 soup bowls. Spoon about 2 tablespoons feta cheese into each squash half. Add a large scoop of rice mixture atop feta layer. Top rice mixture layer with any leftover feta.

Steps:

• Cut the squash in half lengthwise and clean out the seeds. Place cut side down on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
• While the squash are baking, warm the butter and oil in a saute pan over medium heat and add the apples and celery. Saute for 5 minutes. Add the cranberries, brown sugar and spices. Stir until combined and remove from heat.
• Remove squash from oven. Turn squash right side up, top each with filling and return to oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven, and (using an oven mit and ice cream scoop), scoop out the shells and serve. Can be refrigerated and reheated the next day.