Beef A Top A Squash
Posted by terrepruitt on June 7, 2014
Another quick post. I often have a vague idea of what I am going to cook for dinner then I forget as the day goes on. Either I am teaching Nia, learning a Nia routine, or at the moment going through my mom’s stuff. So I find myself walking into the kitchen and not knowing what to cook. Yesterday I was on the phone with my husband and it was already past starting-dinner-time and I didn’t even know what to make. I had purchased some ground beef but had no plan as to what to do with it and I had forgotten about it. When I looked in the fridge I saw it and the butternut squash I bought. Ooo! Stuffed squash. Actually it is more like Topped Squash. It is somewhat easy . . . except for making space in squash. I was trying to do it in a manner that saved the squash innards for roasting (perhaps you will notice the cut up pieces of squash in the picture). That was the difficult part. Needing so much concentration I forgot to take pictures. I emptied out the small portion where the seeds are (easy), but I wanted more room for meat (not so easy). So I cooked then cut (I would not recommend that). I would recommend just skipping that part and making room using a spoon before baking it.
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Beef Topped Butternut Squash
1 butternut squash
olive oil
1/4 of an onion, chopped
1 lb of beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper
1 cup of shredded cheese
Preheat oven to 450° F. Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and enough of the insides to make a “boat” in which to place the beef. Coat both sides of each half in olive oil. Salt both sides of each half. Place each half face down on parchment paper on pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
While the squash is roasting, heat the oil and onion. Once the onion is translucent, add the beef. Add the salt and garlic. Cook the beef until it is almost completely cooked. Add the pepper.
When the first 15 minutes are done, turn the squash over and bake for another 15 minutes, salting again, at this time, if that is your preference. After the second 15 minutes of cooking . . . . check the squash. If it seems cooked all the way through, salt it again and then fill each half with the beef and top with shredded cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted.
This is very rich and very filling.
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I didn’t think about how much this was like the stuffed pumpkin I once cooked. Although the stuffed pumpkin was much more “complicated”, as in it had more ingredients and a bit more complex flavors. This was very good, I thought. And since we usually eat ground turkey and not ground beef that much this was very rich. I feel that beef is more “rich” than turkey. It was very good. And, had I not been trying to save the portion of squash that needs to come out to make room for the meat it would have been easy. So if you are not interested in making nice chunks of squash to roast along side the halves this is an easy recipe. And very yummy and rich. Good dietary fiber!
Do you like stuff/topped squash? What would you top yours with?
Terre Pruitt's Blog 
Michele said
This is making me hungry 🙂 I love all these ingredients, how were the leftovers? I like that you don’t have to peel the squash, they are so hard to peel! It’s going on my mental dinner list, along with your Italian chicken.
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terrepruitt said
This was our entire dinner . . . . there were no left overs. Well, there was left over beef from the cooking of it, but no left over “Beef A Top A Squash”. Aside from the few mushrooms you see there was no bread or veggie . . . the dinner was all of it rolled into one, so we each ate our entire half.
I must have good knives and peelers because I am often told they are difficult to cut and peel and I don’t have a problem. I DID find it challenging to try to cut little chunks out of the center. If I had not been trying to make them nice uniform pieces it wouldn’t have been so hard. I did ok on one half, but not the other.
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Michele said
Yes, after I asked about left overs I bought a smallish butternut squash and thought exactly what you just said. I find the shape awkward for peeling 🙂
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terrepruitt said
I am not sure the one I bought was small. (EEEEK!) But it was the whole meal. Usually we have protein, veggies, carbs, and perhaps a second veggie, but this was all of it rolled into one. And, yes, the shape is awkward. I guess I actually don’t peel them. I think I did it once then realized I could eat the outside after it is cooked so . . . we do. Did you make the meal? Did you like it?
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Michele said
I am making it tonight, I’ll let you know! I have never eaten the skin, I’ll try it 🙂
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terrepruitt said
Ah-ha! We just MIGHT have solved your peeling “problem”. Ha, ha, ha. You’ll never peel one again (perhaps).
I love you for trying my recipes! Thanks! MUAH!
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Michele said
Love you too, and as usual this recipe did not disappoint! Was yummy and filling with a little roasted broccoli and cauliflower on the side! MUAH!
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Michele said
Oh and I probably won’t peel another butternut squash!!
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terrepruitt said
Ha, ha, exactly. Why? The skin cooks up beautifully. Who would have thought, huh?
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terrepruitt said
Oh, I am so glad we are talking and you pointed this comment out to me because it got lost in the spam!
🙂
I am glad you liked it. I guess that I was super hungry and John and I just ate all of ours. Glad your left overs worked out for Dave!
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