Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 4 medium-small (approx. 3” to 4” in diameter) squash - Try to get squash that are the same size/by weight
6 tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, cut into very thin slices
1 lb. hamburger
4 slices white bread with crusts removed – cut into 1” cubes
1 cup milk or one cup soy milk
1 egg, beaten to a lemon yellow
1/3 c. chopped fresh parsley or 3 tbsp dried parsley
1/3 c. chopped celery – small pieces
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. monosodium glutamate (I skipped this and no one noticed)
1/3 c. water
|
Directions: |
Directions:The squash must be pre-cooked. There are 3 ways to do this:
1. Slice the squash lengthwise and remove the seeds & pulp. Place cut side down on oiled baking pan. Add 1/3 c water to the pan. Bake in a preheated 350º oven for 30 minutes or until almost tender. This can be done a day ahead, if desired. Refrigerate the squash until you ready to use it the next day.
2. Prick the squash with a fork. Microwave for 7 minutes each. Do them 1 or at the most 2 at a time. If running 2, use 8 -10 minutes. You want the squash to be almost tender and if doing more than 1, you will need more time.
3. Bake them whole for 30 minutes, cool them, then cut in half and remove the seeds.
Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the cut-up garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Now remove the garlic and discard it. Here garlic is used as a very subtle flavoring agent, if left in it would overwhelm the squash flavor. I poured the butter and garlic into a sieve to separate them. (Someday I have to try this for popcorn, I think it would make great popcorn butter.)
Brown the meat in the garlic-flavored butter; break up the slices of bread and soak in the milk; to the bread mixture add the egg, parsley, celery, salt, pepper and monosodium glutamate. Drain the excess grease off. Stir in the meat mixture and continue to mix and stir until all is very smooth.
Fill each squash half with a portion of the mixture, then place the filled squash cut side up in a shallow baking pan. Pour the water into the bottom of the pan. Or if you pre-cooked the squash by the baking method, just turn the squash cut side up in that pan and fill them. You might need to add a little more water to the pan. Do not cover. Place in a preheated 350º oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the sides of the squash can be easily pierced with a fork.
VARIATIONS:
Substitute lean ground pork for the hamburger. Substitute lean ground ham for the hamburger. Substitute a mixture of half pork sausage with casings removed and half hamburger for all hamburger. Substitute a mixture of half ham and half hamburger for all hamburger. Substitute a mix of ground pork and ground beef for the hamburger.
Use 1 cup cooked rice in place of the bread; diminish the milk by half.
Add some chopped onion and/or chopped walnuts.
Notes:
I have used both Acorn squash and Carnival squash. As long as it is edible and small, you could use any kind of squash. Cutting the recipe in half works. Leftovers can be frozen or refrigerated and then reheated – tastes even better the second time around.
This came from Cooks.com and then I tweaked it. |
This recipe for Hamburger Filled Acorn Squash is from