Butternut Squash Boats with Bacon, Spinach and Cream Cheese (Print-Friendly Version)

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.

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# Ingredients You’ll Need:

→ Main Ingredients

01 - 2 medium butternut squash

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

04 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Filling

05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

06 - 6 ounces fresh spinach

07 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened

08 - 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

09 - 6 strips bacon, cooked and chopped

10 - 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat the oven to 400°F. Halve the squash lengthwise on a stable board, remove seeds and place halves cut-side up on a baking tray.

02 - Brush all four cut surfaces with the two tablespoons of oil in total. Season and roast, first checking at 25 minutes; continue until the thick flesh is readily pierced. Larger halves can need substantially longer.

03 - Heat the separate tablespoon of oil in a skillet, wilt the spinach and drain any excess liquid.

04 - Mix softened cream cheese with spinach, Parmesan, cooked chopped bacon and fresh thyme.

05 - 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.

06 - 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.

# Extra Suggestions:

01 - No. That is the combined amount for all four cut surfaces.

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