Baked Stuffed Yellow Squash
- 3 medium straight-neck yellow squash (1 to 1½ pounds), trimmed and scrubbed
- 1½ cups coarse soda cracker crumbs
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons finely grated yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon crumbled leaf thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1½ tablespoons butter, cut into small dice
Instructions:
Among the vegetables Southerners love to stuff, yellow squash are at the top of the list.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spritz a 13 × 9 × 2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Place the squash in a large, heavy saucepan, add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch, set over moderately high heat, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and boil for 5 minutes. Drain the squash and when cool enough to handle, halve lengthwise, then scoop out the centers, leaving shells about ¼ inch thick. Chop and reserve the scooped-out squash.
- Place the crumbs, ¼ cup of the cheese, the onion, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a large bowl and toss well. Mix in the egg and chopped squash.
- Stuff the crumb mixture into the squash shells, mounding it up in the middle. Dot each stuffed squash with butter, dividing the total amount evenly, then sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup cheese.
- Arrange the squash, not touching, in the baking pan, and bake uncovered on the middle oven rack for 25 to 30 minutes or until tipped with brown.
- Serve at once as an accompaniment to roast pork, turkey, or chicken. Good, too, with baked ham.