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These squash boats are roasted until tender, then filled with spinach, cooked bacon, cream cheese and Parmesan. The squash itself must be ready before the short filling bake. Two medium squash make four halves, but a half is not a standardized serving: the neck length and seed cavity can differ substantially from one squash to another.
The first two tablespoons of olive oil are the total for all four cut surfaces, not two tablespoons for each half. The separate tablespoon belongs in the spinach skillet. Set the two amounts apart before beginning. Cut squash on a stable board with an appropriate knife; do not try to force a rocking or slippery squash through the cut.
Divide oil and filling ingredients
- 2 medium butternut squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 ounces fresh spinach
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 6 strips bacon, cooked and chopped 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Roast the squash before filling
- Stage 1
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
- Stage 2
- Halve the squash lengthwise on a stable board, remove seeds and place halves cut-side up on a baking tray. Brush all four cut surfaces with the two tablespoons of oil in total.
- Stage 3
- Season and roast, first checking at 25 minutes; continue until the thick flesh is readily pierced. Larger halves can need substantially longer.
- Stage 4
- Heat the separate tablespoon of oil in a skillet, wilt the spinach and drain any excess liquid. Mix softened cream cheese with spinach, Parmesan, cooked chopped bacon and fresh thyme.
- Stage 5
- Scoop some tender squash flesh into the filling, leaving a stable shell about half an inch thick. Fill the halves without precarious mounds; place surplus in a separate suitable dish.
- Stage 6
- Return to the oven until the filling is hot throughout, using 165°F as the casserole endpoint, and the surface is lightly colored. Begin checking after about ten minutes and continue as necessary.
Probe the thick neck as well as the area around the seed cavity. Twenty-five minutes is only a first check, not an assurance that every half will be tender. The useful endpoint is whether a knife enters the flesh readily. Continue roasting before scooping if it remains firm. A short cheese-finishing stage cannot substitute for the initial squash roast.
Adjust moisture without changing everything
Wilt the spinach and drain excess liquid before mixing it into softened cheese. Ricotta or a wetter cheese would change the filling’s moisture, so do not assume it behaves like cream cheese. Scoop enough tender squash to enlarge the cavity while leaving a stable border; mix that flesh into the filling. If the enlarged bowl still cannot hold it, bake extra filling separately in a suitable small dish.
Portion by appetite and squash size
For a lighter accompaniment, serve bean and corn salad. cheese and onion pie is another substantial vegetarian-style main to consider on a different day, rather than an essential extra alongside a full squash half. This filling contains bacon, and Parmesan labeling can also matter if developing a vegetarian variation.
Use tenderness instead of a fixed promise
The skin is a serving shell in this method, not a requirement to eat every part. Let diners scoop the tender flesh and filling. No verified regional origin or holiday tradition is needed to explain the dish. Its useful distinction is the two-stage roast, which avoids asking a cheese topping to survive as long as a raw squash needs to soften.
Refrigerate extra filling and squash portions promptly. USDA leftover guidance gives a three-to-four-day refrigerated window for safely handled perishable leftovers. Reheat the dense filling thoroughly, using a thermometer rather than melted cheese as the signal. Texture may change after freezing; this version has not been kitchen-tested through a freeze-and-thaw cycle.
Common Questions About This Recipe
- Are two tablespoons of oil used on every half?
No. That is the combined amount for all four cut surfaces.
- Is twenty-five minutes always enough?
No. Size and neck thickness vary; check tenderness before scooping and stuffing.
- What if the filling does not fit?
Bake the surplus separately rather than piling it where it can slide off the shell.
- Should wet spinach go straight into the cheese?
Drain excess moisture after wilting so the filling does not become unnecessarily loose.
- Does omitting bacon guarantee vegetarian suitability?
Check the cheese and other labels as well; removing one ingredient is not a complete dietary review.