Easy Stuffed Zucchini Boats
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
25 mins
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Total Time
40 mins
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Servings
6 boats
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Calories
444 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Lunch, Dinner
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Cuisine
American
Easy Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Description
This recipe starts by cooking ground beef with diced onion and garlic, then adding diced red bell pepper and optional zucchini scraps before simmering with pasta sauce and Italian seasoning to build a thick, savory meat sauce. Meanwhile, zucchini are halved lengthwise and the centers scraped out to form ½-inch thick shells. These shells are brushed with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.
The zucchini boats are placed in a baking dish, filled with the meat sauce, topped with additional pasta sauce, and baked at 400°F for 15 minutes. Then shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheese are added atop and the boats are baked an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the zucchini is soft and the cheese is bubbling and browned. The result is a warm, cheesy dish with a tender vegetable base and rich meat filling.
This dish can serve as a main course and pairs nicely with other simple side dishes. Adjusting zucchini quantity depends on their size, and longer cooking can yield softer zucchini if preferred. The zucchini cores can be added to the sauce or saved for soups or chilis. Leftover meat sauce or chili can be used in place of the meat sauce for convenience.
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchini about 6 ounces each
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese shredded
Meat Sauce
- 1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage, lean
- 1 onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 ½ cups pasta sauce or marinara, divided
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
Sauce
- Cook ground beef, onion, and garlic in a large skillet until no pink remains. Drain any fat. Stir in the bell pepper (and any extra zucchini bits if you'd like) and cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until it begins to soften.
- Stir in 1 cup pasta sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt & pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes until thickened.
Zucchini
- Slice zucchini lengthwise and use a teaspoon to scrape out the center to create a ½-inch thick shell. Brush with olive oil and season the zucchini with salt & pepper to taste.
- Place the zucchini in a large baking dish. Fill each zucchini with the beef mixture. Top with the remaining ½ cup pasta sauce and place in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Top with the cheeses and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until the zucchini is soft and the cheese is bubbly.
Notes
- Use two large zucchini or three smaller ones depending on size to get enough boats.
- For softer zucchini, increase baking time before adding cheese.
- Chopped zucchini cores can be added to the meat sauce or saved for other recipes like soups.
- If adding zucchini to sauce, cook it before adding marinara to avoid watery sauce.
- Leftover meat sauce or chili can substitute the meat sauce in this recipe.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6boats
Amount Per Serving
Calories 444 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 444 | 22% |
| Carbohydrates | 12g | 4% |
| Protein | 28g | 56% |
| Fat | 31g | 48% |
| Saturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Cholesterol | 102mg | 34% |
| Sodium | 582mg | 24% |
| Potassium | 898mg | 19% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 1595IU | 32% |
| Vitamin C | 62.1mg | 69% |
| Calcium | 204mg | 20% |
| Iron | 3.8mg | 21% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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