Stuffed Squash With Bacon Dates And Sage Recipes

SAGE AND SQUASH PIZZA WITH BACON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500˚ F. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the pan. Add the squash to the skillet and cook until soft and browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Cover an inverted large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Stretch the pizza dough into a 12-inch oval on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to the baking sheet, prick the top with a fork and bake until the dough just begins to turn golden and looks dry, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.
• Mix together the ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, the Parmesan, chopped sage and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Spread on the crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with the bacon, squash and sage leaves. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella. Return to the oven and bake until the crust is golden, about 10 minutes. Slide the pizza onto a cutting board, sprinkle with more Parmesan and let stand 5 minutes.
• Toss the arugula in a bowl with the olive oil and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Slice the pizza and serve with the salad.

SQUASH STUFFED WITH DATES AND ONION

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.

STUFFED SQUASH WITH BACON, DATES AND SAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large casserole pan with Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil. Set aside.
• Cut squashes in half. Use a spoon to scrape the seed pulp out of the squashes. If necessary, cut 1/4 inch off the bottom of the squash halves to help them stand upright without falling over. Place the squash cut side up on the foil and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and saute until just cooked through on both sides, working in batches if necessary. Remove from the pan, allow to cool slightly and then dice.
• Saute the onion and garlic in the rendered fat until softened and transparent, about 8 minutes. Add the rice, chicken stock, dates, cinnamon, salt, pepper, allspice, nutmeg and diced bacon. Stir to combine. Allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring every few minutes.
• Add the sage and remove from heat. Gently spoon the stuffing into the squash. Spoon any leftover stuffing around the squash in the pan, then pour the water into the pan. Place the pan in the oven and roast until the squash flesh is tender and the rice is cooked through, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.