CREAMY MEAT-STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Creamy Meat-Stuffed Zucchini image

Zucchini stuffed with a creamy meat filling is a wonderful variation from the Italian sauce, specially when you can find (or grow) big zucchinis in season.

Provided by PattyQ

Categories Main Dish Recipes Stuffed Main Dish Recipes Stuffed Zucchini Recipes

Time 1h20m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

2 large thick zucchinis, ends trimmed
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
½ onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
¾ pound ground beef
½ teaspoon ground paprika
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ cup milk
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, or to taste
salt to taste
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Steps:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and immerse the zucchini in the boiling water. Set heat to medium, and cook the zucchini until they feel slightly soft when pressed with a wooden spoon, about 20 minutes. Drain the zucchini, and set aside to cool.
Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ground beef, and cook and stir the meat, breaking it up as it cooks, until the beef is no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Stir in the paprika, and set the beef mixture aside.
Cut the zucchinis in half lengthwise, and scoop out the flesh with a spoon, leaving a 1/2-inch thick shell. Chop the scooped-out zucchini flesh, and mix into the ground beef mixture.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour until smooth. Pour in the milk, a little at a time, and bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly. Whisk in white pepper, nutmeg, and salt, and stir in half the Parmesan cheese to create a smooth sauce. Mix the white sauce thoroughly with the ground beef mixture. Place the zucchini halves into a baking dish. Fill the zucchini shells with the creamy beef mixture, and sprinkle each with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the remaining Parmesan cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven until the Parmesan cheese topping begins to turn golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 357.6 calories, Carbohydrate 15 g, Cholesterol 83.8 mg, Fat 22.5 g, Fiber 2.4 g, Protein 24.5 g, SaturatedFat 11 g, Sodium 355.4 mg, Sugar 5.8 g