Grandma’s Stuffed Yellow Squash

Memorial Day weekend is this weekend. Patrick asked me earlier in the week if I could bring the kids to Engine 7 Saturday morning for a tour. He said Liam had asked him about the firehouse at Easter. Liam is obsessed.

We went. Liam was vibrating. Nora hid behind my legs for the first five minutes and then joined in. Patrick walked them through the apparatus bay, let them sit in the cab of Engine 7, showed them the gear, the turnouts, the hose beds. Dad was there too, retired-but-still-showing-up. Dad lifted Nora onto the bumper. She squealed. I took three pictures.

They let Liam slide a very short distance down the brass pole. He landed wide-eyed. He said MOM. I said I saw.

On the way home Liam asked if Patrick has ever rescued someone. I said yes. He asked if Patrick is not scared. I said he is scared, and does the job anyway. Liam thought about this for a while. Then he said Daddy wasn't scared. I said Daddy was very scared, and loved us, and kept showing up, which is the same thing.

Tuesday group was the last of the six-week cycle. Bernadette said there is always another one, we can all re-up. Seven of us said we would. The 38-year-old widow decided to take a break. I said I am in.

Clinic was busy. A young mother, 26, with postpartum hypertension I caught on a routine check. I sent her to L&D at BMC. She went. I got a note back from the hospital Thursday — admitted, treated, stable. I called her Friday at home. She said the baby is fine, she is fine. She thanked me.

Saturday pancakes before the firehouse tour. Burned the first one. Liam inhaled four. Nora had two with extra syrup.

Sunday, Memorial Day weekend dinner at Southie. Ma grilled burgers and hot dogs. Dad got quiet when the talk turned to the guys from his firehouse who did not come home over the years. He named two. He said to them, briefly, in a mumble, rest easy boys. Patrick raised his can of Coke. I raised my water glass. Nobody cried. The kids kept running.

Food of the week: Dad's grilled burgers with a slice of raw onion and yellow mustard on a supermarket bun. Not fancy. Correct.

The burgers were Dad’s department — always have been — but I always bring something to fill out the table, and this is the one I keep coming back to. Grandma’s stuffed yellow squash is not a showstopper. It doesn’t try to be. It’s the kind of dish that sits quietly next to the hot dogs and does its job, the same way Dad stood quietly by the grill and did his. Some things don’t need to be explained. They just need to show up.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 medium yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)
1/2 cup cooked white rice
1/4 cup diced tomato
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Preheat and prep squash. Preheat oven to 375°F. Scoop out the center of each squash half with a spoon, leaving about a 1/4-inch shell. Roughly chop the scooped flesh and set aside.
Sauté the filling. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Brown the meat. Add ground beef to the skillet. Cook, breaking it apart, until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat.
Combine. Stir in the reserved chopped squash flesh, cooked rice, diced tomato, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and paprika. Cook 2–3 minutes until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar.
Fill and bake. Arrange squash shells in a baking dish. Spoon the filling evenly into each shell. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup cheddar. Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until the squash is tender and the cheese is golden.
Finish and serve. Let rest 5 minutes. Scatter fresh parsley over the top if using. Serve warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Grandma’s Stuffed Yellow Squash — The Side Dish That Shows Up Every Memorial Day