Stuffed Squashes and Mushrooms

These are so good the photo assistant couldn't wait.

I adore mushrooms. Sauteed, baked, roasted, raw are all fantastic. Squash? Not so much. It's not that I don't like squash, it just never calls out to me as something I'm dying to have. This recipe changes all that. Slightly softened squash with a moist stuffing filled with herbs and cheese that gets crispy on top. Do I need to say more? Of course I do :)

This recipe is endlessly adaptable and could easily be made ahead. Who doesn't need more recipes like that? You could substitute the cheddar with almost any cheese—Parmesan, Gouda, PepperJack. I think even a soft goat cheese or feta would work. You can keep it vegetarian or add cooked, crumbled sausage or cooked, chopped shrimp to make it a meal of its own. This works great with just about every squash—zucchini or summer squash or pattypans.

Start by stemming the mushrooms and scooping out the insides of the squash.

Chop up the mushroom stems and zucchini that you scooped out and saute them up in a little olive oil and butter along with some onion and garlic.

Let that cool for a few minutes, then add some herbs, cheese, and Panko breadcrumbs.


Stuff this mixture into your zucchini boats and mushroom caps.

Grill and enjoy, or cover tightly and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook them.

Grilled Stuffed Mushrooms and Zucchini
adapted from Outdoor Cooking (Williams Sonoma Kitchen Library)

Serves 6-8 as an appetizer or 4-5 as a side dish

4 small zucchini, pattypan, or summer squashes
1 8-oz package button mushrooms
1 Tbls. olive oil, plus more for brushing squash and mushrooms
1 Tbls. butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/2-2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 Tbls. fresh or 1 tsp. dried herb of your choice (oregano, thyme, italian seasoning, basil or rosemary would all be good choices, but if using rosemary, I might cut the amount by half)
1 Tbls. cream, optional

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and set aside. Cut each squash in half lengthwise, then remove a little sliver from the bottom of each half so the squash will lay flat. Using a small spoon (a small melon baller or grapefruit spoon works great for this), scoop out the interior of the squash, leaving about an 1/4-inch of shell. Place squash and mushrooms on a baking sheet and brush the insides  and outsides with olive oil. Turn everything right side up and season with salt and pepper.

Coarsely chop the scooped out squash and mushroom stems. Melt butter and olive oil in a medium saute pan over med-high heat. Add garlic and onion and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the chopped squash and mushrooms. Saute for 7-8 minutes until the squash are soft and have evaporated most of their liquid, remove from heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes.

Add cheese, herbs, cream (if using), then salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the panko crumbs. Start with 1/2 cup then evaluate if you need more. You want your cooked squash mixture to be moist but not full of liquid. If you add the panko and there is no liquid in the bottom of the pan, you're good to go.

Lightly stuff the squash boats and mushroom caps with the mixture. Place the squash straight on the grill. I usually put the mushrooms on the grill in a foil pie pan but if you have a fancy grill basket that will work too. Grill over indirect heat—10-15 minutes for the mushrooms and 20 minutes for the squash—until the tops are golden and you can easily pierce the sides of the squash with a knife. Alternatively, you could bake these in a 425 degree oven—10-15 minutes for the mushrooms and 15-20 minutes for the squash.