Fresh from the Garden – Squash and Ham Skillet

I originally published this in August 2010. I thought it would be nice to re-post it. :-)

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Recently my dad handed me a couple of yellow summer squashes fresh from our garden. I didn’t have a plan for supper yet that night, but the squash gave me an idea and I came up with this super simple, quick and tasty dish. Serve it with your choice or a carbohydrate – bread, chips, noodles, rice, potatoes, etc. A salad might be nice as well, but we didn’t have one as we usually eat fairly simple meals.

I am sharing this recipe in it’s rough form. It will be an opportunity to “cook by the seat of your pants” or for “adventure cooking,” as we might call it. :-) You can adjust the amounts to suit your tastes and for the number of servings you need for your family.
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Yellow summer squash, sliced
Sliced ham, fully cooked
Butter
Onion powder 
Pepper to taste
Grated cheddar cheese
Water

Saute yellow squash in butter and a little water in a large frying pan. Sprinkle with ground pepper. Cook till almost done, stirring occasionally. (Add water as needed, but not too much – just enough to keep it juicy.) Meanwhile, chop or tear the ham into bite size pieces. Add ham when squash is almost done and sprinkle with onion powder. When the squash is cooked to your taste and the ham is heated through, remove from heat and top with grated cheese. Cover and allow cheese to melt. Serve.

Note: I do not recommend adding salt while cooking as the ham and cheese make it quite salty. If you want extra salt I suggest adding it at the table. You could also use cooked bacon or some other fully cooked, flavorful meat to make this dish.