For a girl who didn’t grow up eating much meat, it sure is funny to hear myself say I’m obsessed with bison…
But, ’tis true… bison is my new favorite go-to meat. It’s lean, it’s healthy, and man is it tasty. A little more expensive than beef or turkey, yes, but definitely a treat worth splurging for every so often! If you want to make this with a different meat go ahead… I’ve made it many times with both beef and turkey; the only difference is I add in some sage to this one since sage + bison = a match made in heaven. 🙂
These squash were particularly small in size (and mighty cute, too!). When hunting for good stuffing squash, you want to choose ones that are thick… it’s not really the length the matters, it’s how much you can pack in the thing. So while these were on the smaller size in length, they were actually quite perfect still since they could hold a good heaping of meat in the center…
I tend to select both yellow and green since I think it looks pretty… plus, it’s nice to have variety on the plate. You could make this with pretty much any squash you wanted… just as long as there on the smaller side so that you don’t end up serving someone a pound of meat filling. (Not that that would be a bad thing necessarily! 😉 )
The melted cheese adds a tasty touch one might not normally think is necessary. It sorts of holds it all together. If you aren’t a cheese fan or simply don’t want the stuff, you can omit it; however keep it mind that it may be a touch on the drier side without it (the cheese is like the fatty flavorful glue that keeps it all together!)
serves about 6
INGREDIENTS
4-6 yellow and/or green zucchini squash, depending on size (these were small)
1 lb ground bison (or other meat you prefer)
1/2 yellow onion
3 garlic cloves
3-4 tomatoes
2 tbsp fresh basil
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1 tbsp fresh sage leaves
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp paprika (sweet)
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp salt, plus more (to taste)
1/4 tsp back pepper, plus more (to taste)
1 tbsp ghee (or butter)
drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper for roasting squash
few slices of Havarti or other mild white cheese you like
to garnish, fresh basil leaves
Fresh ingredients are important here… try your best to get your hands on fresh herbs
(if you can’t dry will work though)
For squash, try to find similar-sized ones in width so they cook evenly
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
To prep the squash, slice each one in half lengthwise and then
use a spoon to scoop out the interior of each squash…
leave the walls thick enough to hold everything in
(Don’t get rid of that squash you scooped out – it’ getting used, too!)
Lay the squash on a large baking sheet
(I’d suggest doing this sans foil, directly on the glass or metal pan… it’s a long story, but
I made this dish at a friend’s house for dinner and this is what had to be used at the time)
Drizzle the squash with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper
Turn squash face down (this helps to steam the squash, cooking it faster)
Bake for about 10 minutes, until the squash are cooked through and tender
(be careful not to overcook them… you want them to be firm enough to hold their shape!)
Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing…
Finely dice the tomatoes, onion, and garlic cloves
Heat ghee (or butter) in a large pan over medium heat (I like cast iron personally)
Add the squash (the stuff you scooped out) and onion
Then add the garlic cloves and about 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
Saute the veggies for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened
Add the bison meat
Stir well to combine all of the ingredients
Chop the fresh herbs (basil, parsley, sage, and thyme) and tomatoes
Add them to the meat
Add in the paprika and allspice, as well
Stir and let it all cook down until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes
Taste and adjust seasonings as desired
By now, the squash should be done…
Using a slotted spoon (to allow the juices to strain), fill each squash with the meat mixture
Then top each squash with a slice of cheese… it can be grated, sliced, or ripped into pieces
Doesnt matter, just cover that meat! 🙂
Place the squash back in the oven for a few more minutes, until the cheese is melted
Finely slice some fresh basil leaves for topping
When the squash are done, plate them and sprinkle with fresh basil
That’s it, done!
Dig in and enjoy!! 🙂
