These amazing Grilled Stuffed Eight Ball Squash are perfect for a fun grilled seafood dish. It is filled with crab meat and shrimp and held together with Panko. The grill adds the smoky flavor for an irresistible dish that even the kids love!
I found these eight ball squash at my local grocery store and was way too excited. I love this time of the year when the fun squash starts to hit the shelves. These are so mild, they are really kid-friendly. It’s a gateway squash! Ha!
Who doesn’t love this combination? These can be fancy enough for a nice cookout under the stars or you can whip them up for a Sunday BBQ with the family after a day of hiking.
🦐 Ingredients
Eight Ball Squash – This is a distinctive-looking squash that is uniquely round. It is a little firmer than a traditional zucchini, with a very delicate skin.
Seafood – We used cans of shrimp and crab meat. Definitely consider using fresh seafood or a firm white fish flaked into the mix. The squash is extremely mild, which allows your seafood flavors to really shine through.
Shallots – This is a mild flavor that is critical for this recipe. A strong flavored onion may overtake the seafood.
Panko – In a pinch, you can use breadcrumbs, but I have had the best results with Panko. They don’t ever get soggy, which is nice.
🔥 Grilling Instructions
Step One: Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the center. There should only be a few seeds, so remove those and reserve the flesh.
Step Two: Heat the grill to 400 degrees. Brush the squash with a little olive oil and place face down on the grill for about ten minutes to soften slightly. Remove them from the grill.
Step Three: While the squash is searing, combine shallots with olive oil on the stove top over medium heat. Cook until they are transparent. It should take about 3-4 minutes. Add the reserved squash flesh and cook for about five minutes. Then, add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Step Four: Combine the Panko, Gruyere cheese, drained seafood, parsley and the shallot/squash/garlic mixture. Mix it well. I like to reserve a little bit of the Gruyere cheese to sprinkle on top right before I take it off.
Step Five: Fill each of the squash with the mixture. Heap it slightly and press down to make sure it all sticks in place.
Step Six: Place the stuffed squash back on the grill and let them cook for another ten minutes, until they are heated through.
Step Seven: In the last few minutes, add the extra Gruyere cheese and chopped fresh parsley. It will only take a minute to melt and helps to bind the recipe together.
🍴 Substitutions
Replace the seafood mixture with fresh crab, scallops, shrimp, or a firm white fish. I have even used grilled salmon, which was out of this world. This is also a great time to use leftover fish or a fun mixed seafood package from the grocery store.
If you want to skip the seafood mixture, go with your favorite sausage mixture or even a “stuffed pepper” mixture.
If you can’t find Eight Ball Squash, use an acorn, zucchini or yellow squash. The acorn squash will require a bit longer to grill as it is larger. I find the mild flavors of the zucchini to be a better fit for the filling.
📌 Expert Tips
You can eat the skin of the 8 ball squash just like zucchini and yellow squash. The skin is a similar texture and maybe a little bit more firm than a zucchini. After grilling, it is tender and easy to cut with a fork.
Sprinkle on some extra Gruyere and parsley on during the last few minutes of the grill to give it a chance to melt.
These squash are perfect for refrigerating for lunches throughout the week. Just heat them up in the microwave for a delicious lunch.
👨🍳 Recipe FAQs
They are tasty squash that is a hybrid of zucchini. They are about the size of a softball and have dark green skin. The smaller they are, the sweeter they are likely to be.
It’s going to taste similar to an Italian zucchini. It has a sweet flavor with slightly nutty hints too. Due to grilling, the squash is going to have a subtle smoky flavor as well.
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Seafood Stuffed Grilled Eight Ball Squash
Ingredients
Eight Ball Squash
- 2 Eight Ball Squash cut in half
- 1 tsp Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
Seafood Stuffing
- 1 can Crab
- 1 can Baby Shrimp
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Shallot cut into small pieces
- 1 tbsp Parsley chopped
- 1½ cup Gruyere shredded
- ⅓ cup Panko
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
Prepare the Squash for Grilling
- Cut the Eight Ball Squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Reserve the scooped out flesh.
- Brush the cut face of the squash with a little bit of olive oil. This will minimize sticking on the grill.
- Place the squash face-down on a 400 degree grill for ten minutes. Remove from the grill.
Prepare the Filling
- In a skillet, add the olive oil and chopped shallots. Let it cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until they are translucent. Add the reserved squash flesh and cook for another five minutes. Lastly, add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Combine all of the ingredients to a large bowl (including the shallot/garlic mixture). If you are using canned seafood, drain it before adding to the filling.
- Mix well with a wooden spoon.
Prepare the Stuffed Eight Ball Squash
- Fill each squash with the stuffing. Heap it and form to shape with your hand. Press it together firmly.
- Add the squash back to the grill for another ten minutes. During the last few minutes, sprinkle extra Gruyere cheese and freshly chopped parsley on top.
- Remove from the grill and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
Jason’s been firing up the grill for over 30 years after graduating from the US Coast Guard Academy. His love of finely-grilled steak and chicken led him to buy his first Weber grill to put on his apartment patio in 1992. Each military move led to a new grill (a mixture of gas and charcoal) until he fell in love with the Big Green Egg in 2008. Since then, he has added another 4 grills to the collection. Yes, he has a problem. Jason loves smoking in the ceramic BGE with exotic woods including olive wood from Egypt and hard to find varieties such as sassafras and orange wood. Jason takes the term “foodie” to a whole new level, jumping at the chance to take food tours and cooking classes during foreign travels. These have provided inspiration to incorporate new ideas into recipes when he gets back home. He has been featured in Fox News, Parade, Yahoo News, Kansas City Living and more. After retiring from the military and moving to southwest Florida, he has focused grilling and smoking locally sourced meats and fish (read: he likes to catch his own fish!)
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