Bacon Chili Stuffed Squash Recipes

SLOW-COOKER BACON CHILI

Steps:

• Spray 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
• In 12-inch skillet, cook bacon 12 to 14 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Reserve 1/4 cup; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Add remaining bacon to slow cooker.
• Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Add beef, bell pepper, onion and garlic. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook 6 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain.
• Add beef mixture to slow cooker; stir in remaining chili ingredients. Cover; cook on High heat setting 3 to 4 hours or on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours. Serve with reserved bacon and Toppings.

GRILLED BACON-STUFFED SUMMER SQUASH

Steps:

• Coat grill rack with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat grill to medium direct heat. Meanwhile, cut squash lengthwise into halves. With spoon, scoop out pulp, leaving at least 1/2 inch shell; set aside. Coarsely chop pulp. Cook bacon in medium skillet over medium heat until browned. Add onion and celery; cook and stir 2 minutes. Stir in squash pulp; cook and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat; set aside.
• Stir in bread crumbs, cheese, and thyme. Spoon filling evenly into squash shells; pressing lightly. Place on grill. Grill covered, 7 to 11 minutes or until squash is tender and filling is hot.

SAVORY SUMMER SQUASH WITH BACON

Steps:

• Place 2 paper towels on a microwave-safe plate; add bacon and top with another paper towel. Cook in microwave on high until some grease is absorbed, about 30 seconds.
• Transfer bacon to a deep skillet and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Lower heat to medium; stir garlic into bacon and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onion; cook and stir until onion is slightly translucent and still firm, about 5 minutes.
• Mix squash into onion-bacon mixture; cook and stir until squash is slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add artichoke hearts; cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Add capers and rosemary; cover skillet and cook, stirring often, until squash is softened but firm to the bite, about 5 more minutes. Season with salt and white pepper.

BAKED STUFFED ACORN SQUASH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place squash on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes, until soft enough to easily cut in half. Wait until cool enough to handle (about 15 minutes), then cut in half (stem to tip) and scoop out seeds and membranes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet and add onion. Cook, stirring often, until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add red pepper and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have cooked down slightly, about 5 minutes. Add honey, maple syrup or pomegranate molasses, vinegar, salt and cayenne, and bring to a simmer. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes, until thick and fragrant. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in beans and corn and simmer another 5 minutes.
• Oil 1 or 2 baking dishes or a sheet pan that will accommodate all the squash. Season cavities and cut sides of the squash with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil or melted butter. Fill with bean mixture. Mix together bread crumbs, Gruyère and remaining olive oil and sprinkle over the filling. Brush exposed edges of squash with oil. Place in the baking dish or on baking sheet and cover tightly with foil. Bake large squash for 45 minutes, check smaller squash after 30 minutes. The flesh should be easy to penetrate with the tip of a knife. Uncover and return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until breadcrumbs and cheese are lightly browned. Serve hot or warm.

KETO SPAGHETTI SQUASH WITH BACON AND BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Cut stem off the end of spaghetti squash using a sharp knife. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Brush the inside with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Bake in the preheated oven until soft, about 45 minutes. Scrape cooked flesh out into a bowl and set aside. Return spaghetti squash shells to the baking sheet.
• Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels.
• Add mushrooms and garlic to the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Add in the cooked bacon and spinach. Stir until spinach is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushroom mixture to the bowl of squash. Mix in sour cream, salt, and pepper. Stir until filling is evenly combined.
• Spoon filling back into the squash shells. Sprinkle each half with 1 tablespoon blue cheese. Return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted and squash is heated through, 4 to 5 minutes.

STUFFED PATTYPAN SQUASH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring one inch of water to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add squash, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, or until a fork can pierce the stem with little resistance. Drain, and slice off the top stem of the squash. Use a melon baller to carefully scoop out the centers of the squash. Reserve all of the bits of squash.
• Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Remove bacon to paper towels, and set aside. Saute onion in bacon drippings. Chop the reserved squash pieces, and saute them with the onion for one minute.
• Remove the skillet from heat, and stir in the breadcrumbs. Crumble the bacon, and stir into the stuffing along with the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stuff each squash to overflowing with the mixture, and place them in a baking dish. Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil.
• Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until squash are heated through.