Stuffed Zucchini
Stuffed zucchini can be a quick and easy weeknight meal with a little prep time.
I had a lot of zucchini from the farmer's market and I was tired of sautéing it. I had some beef that needed some pizzazz.
Beyond that, I didn’t have any ideas other than stuffing that zucchini.
When I made my weekly menu and planned stuffed zucchini, I assumed I would figure out between Sunday and Thursday how I wanted to go about this.
I was wrong. So I grabbed what I had hanging around. I knew I didn’t want a tomato sauce, but more of a cream cheese sauce and I had a tub of mascarpone patiently waiting for something.
This seems like a lot of work, but it was prepped in 15 minutes, and cooked for 30 minutes. You can start the beef, onions, and peppers the same time you begin work on the zucchini.
Once you have finished scooping out the middle of the zucchini, add it to the beef. It will continue to cook in the oven so it doesn’t have to be completely done before stuffing. It does need a at least 5 minutes or so in the pan to help reduce the water content.
Stuffed Zucchini
Ingredients
- 4 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise and middle scooped out and reserved.
- ¾ lb lean ground beef
- ½ cup chopped red/yellow/green peppers in any combination
- ½ cup onion, diced
- ⅓ cup of water
- 1 Tablespoon taco seasoning
- ½ cup shredded cheddar
- ½ cup of mascarpone cheese, cream cheese is excellent substitute
- ¼ cup of parsley, chopped
- ½ cup of mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 green onion, sliced thin
Instructions
- Brown beef, peppers, onions and the middle part of the zucchini that was scooped out. Leave “boats” on a sprayed sheet pan.
- Add taco seasoning and water. Stir and simmer a few minutes until seasoning is equally distributed.
- In a large bowl, add beef, cheddar, mascarpone, parsley. Mix well.
- Spoon mixture into each zucchini boat.
- Bake 400* for 30 minutes. If zucchini is not done, return to oven and check after 10 more minutes.
- Remove, sprinkle mozzarella cheese and return to oven. Turn heat off. Cheese will melt in 3-5 minutes. Top with green onions and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 426Saturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 311mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 32g
My GF family love this recipe! I usually use half ground beef and half ground pork for a more flavorful dish. I sometimes add the mozzarella along with the cheddar to the mixture and add grated Parmesan on the top. When I am out of bell peppers I chop up carrots for that little bit of sweetness. I always sprinkle the zucchini with sea salt and my favorite Penzey spice-Sunny Spain, before adding the mixture. This is just such a delicious and versatile dish. My kids ask for it often which is a hit with me! Actually, it is in my oven right now and smells amazing!!
I've been making something very similar for years, but the filling I make uses cooked rice, crumbled Italian sausage, onions, and Velveeta. It's a great way to use those large zucchinis.
I'm curious if you've ever tried cooking the zucchini boats on a grill instead of the oven. I hate hearing my house in the summer when it's already hit. Thanks!
I made this tonite using yellow squash & added a can of drained Rotel tomatoes with mild green chilies. This was delicious and I don't even like squash or zucchini. This is definitely a keeper! Thanks!
Good recipe! Just made this….added a cut up squash in the mix……probably had to let it cook down about 20 min…..used Italian seasonings and pepper until I make up some homemade taco seasoning. Did use cream cheese and an extra onion. I only sprinkled my cheddar cheese on top at the end and it was awesome! Again, thanks for recipe~
I am trying this tonight but with turkey sausage. Sure smells good!
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Made this with turkey sausage, sauteed mushrooms, onion and celery. Turned out amazing. My husband doesn't make a big deal out of much, but he said 4 times how great it is.
can I use turkey chili instead of ground beef for the zucchini receipe listed above?
I am making this tonight only I am using 8 ball zucchinis.