Best Stuffed Zucchini Recipes

SAUSAGE-STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• With a teaspoon, scoop out the flesh from the interior of the zucchini, so they resemble boats. Place the zucchini boats in a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Chop the zucchini flesh and set aside.
• In a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and let heat through. Add the sweet and the hot Italian sausage, and cook for 4 minutes. Add the garlic, onion, chopped zucchini flesh, tomatoes and some salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, add the Parmesan, mozzarella, breadcrumbs and parsley; mix to combine.
• Spoon in and mound the sausage mixture into the zucchini boats. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over top. Place in oven and bake until golden on top, 20 minutes.

GARDEN-STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Halve zucchini lengthwise; place cut sides down in an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, scoop out seeds, leaving a 1/4-in. shell., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef, onion, green pepper and garlic over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking beef into crumbles; drain. Stir in 1 cup water, tomatoes, red peppers, mushrooms, pasta, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook until mixture is thickened and pasta is al dente, 12-15 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese., Spoon mixture into zucchini shells. Place in an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish; sprinkle with 3/4 cup Italian cheese blend. Pour remaining water into bottom of dish. Bake, covered, 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, until zucchini is tender and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes longer. Serve with pasta sauce if desired.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine first 11 ingredients and 1 can of the tomato sauce; mix well. Stir in tomatoes. Halve zucchini lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Fill with meat mixture; place in two 13x9-in. baking dishes. Spoon remaining tomato sauce over each. , Bake, uncovered, at 375° until the zucchini is tender, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese during the last few minutes of baking.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE-STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cut each zucchini lengthwise in half. Scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-in. shell; chop pulp. Place zucchini shells in a large microwave-safe dish. In batches, microwave, covered, on high 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender., In a large skillet, cook sausage and zucchini pulp over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink, breaking sausage into crumbles; drain. Stir in tomatoes, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, herbs and pepper. Spoon into zucchini shells., Place in 2 ungreased 13x9-in. baking dishes. Bake, covered, 15-20 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5-8 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. If desired, sprinkle with additional minced parsley.

FRIED CHEESE-STUFFED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, water and salt until smooth. Set aside.
• In a small bowl combine the goat cheese, cream cheese, heavy cream, basil, and green onion. Mix until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons filling into each blossom. Close the blossoms and gently twist the petals to seal.
• In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in about 1 minute.) Dip the stuffed zucchini blossoms in the batter and allow any excess batter to drip off. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Allow the cooked blossoms to drain on paper towels.
• Season with salt and serve with your favorite marinara sauce or vinaigrette.

BEEF-STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Cut zucchini in half lengthwise; cut a thin slice from the bottom of each with a sharp knife to allow zucchini to sit flat. Scoop out pulp, leaving 1/4-in. shells. , Place shells in an ungreased 3-qt. microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain and set aside. , Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef, onion and zucchini pulp over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Remove from the heat; stir in the marinara sauce, egg, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup cheese., Spoon about 1/4 cup into each shell. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 4 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Microwave 3-4 minutes longer or until a thermometer inserted into filling reads 160° and zucchini are tender. If desired, broil zucchini 3 in. from the heat for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. Serve with additional marinara sauce.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Drizzle a rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season the zucchini halves with salt and pepper. Add to the baking sheet and turn to coat with the oil. Arrange the zucchini cut-side down in a single layer. Roast until crisp-tender, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the cumin and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook 30 seconds. Add the turkey and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and chicken broth until combined. Cook until the broth is reduced to a thick sauce, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Turn the zucchini boats cut-side up and fill with the turkey mixture, packing it in. Sprinkle with the cheese and roast until the zucchini is tender and the cheese is softened, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir together the yogurt and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the zucchini boats with the yogurt mixture and top with the dill.

BAKED STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-in. shell. Chop pulp; set shells aside. , In a large nonstick skillet, saute the zucchini pulp, mushrooms and onion in butter for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Add wine or broth. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes or until liquid has evaporated. Stir in salt and pepper., Place zucchini shells in a saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. , Fill shells with mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned.

SAUSAGE-STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Cut zucchini in half and scoop out and reserve interiors. Place zucchini halves close together in a casserole dish. Finely chop zucchini flesh and set aside in a bowl.
• Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mild and hot sausage and cook until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and discard grease.
• Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add chopped zucchini flesh, onion, mushrooms, celery, and garlic; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Stir in cooked sausage, bread crumbs, and enough water to hold the mixture together.
• Spoon sausage mixture into zucchini boats, overflowing into the casserole dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, leaving oven on. Top with diced tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and pepper Jack cheese, in that order. Return to the oven and cook until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes more. Top with parsley.

NAT'S SHRIMP AND VEGGIE STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source. Grease a baking sheet.
• Cut the zucchini in half the long way, and scoop out the seeds and pulp, leaving a thick shell of flesh. Brush both halves of the zucchini with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and place them, cut sides down, onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the zucchini are hot and beginning to release beads of moisture, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the zucchini from the oven.
• Reduce the oven heat to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat, and cook and stir the garlic and shallot until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the shrimp, diced tomato, mushrooms, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, basil, and the cooked garlic and shallot into a bowl, and stir to mix. Season to taste with black pepper, salt, and garlic powder. Stuff the mixture into the zucchini halves, and sprinkle each zucchini with about 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
• Bake the stuffed zucchini in the preheated oven until the cheese is browned and the filling is cooked through and hot, about 20 minutes.

BEEF STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Scoop seeds and flesh from zucchini halves with spoon, leaving hollowed-out shells. Discard about half the flesh. Put remaining flesh in a large bowl.
• Mix ground beef, tomato soup, water, bell pepper, bread crumbs, egg, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder with the zucchini flesh; spoon into the zucchini shells. Arrange stuffed zucchini onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Sprinkle Italian cheese blend over the zucchinis and continue baking until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10 minutes more.

ITALIAN STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Measure one cup of marinara sauce and set aside.
• Trim the ends from the zucchini and slice them in half lengthwise. Using a teaspoon, scrape the inside of the zucchini forming a cavity, being careful not to cut through.
• Place the zucchini boats in a 9 x 13" baking dish and add a cup of water. Cover with foil then bake for 20 minutes or until just slightly fork tender. Remove from oven, remove foil and set aside to cool slightly.
• While the zucchini is cooking, add the olive oil to a skillet and place over medium heat. Add the ground turkey, onions, peppers, and garlic to the pan, and stir until fully combined. Cook, stirring to break up the ground turkey as it cooks. Cook until the meat is cooked and the vegetables have softened. If there is too much grease, drain off as much as possible. and return skillet to the heat.
• Add the remaining 2 cups marinara sauce, parsley and spices and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the spices if necessary.
• Remove the zucchini from the baking dish and drain off the water. Pour the 1 cup marinara on the bottom of the dish and place the zucchini on top of the sauce.
• Fill the zucchini cavities with the meat sauce. If you have extra, add it around the zucchini or save it to enjoy with pasta another day. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. or until zucchini is fork tender.
• Remove dish from oven and set the oven to broil. Remove the foil then sprinkle the mozzarella cheese, then the parmigiano-reggiano cheese, and then the breadcrumbs evenly over the six zucchini boats.
• Place dish in the oven and broil for approximately 2 minutes, with the door open, until the cheese has melted and golden in colour.
• *I used my Basil Tomato Sauce Recipe #447975.

MEDITERRANEAN STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Use a melon baller to separate and remove seeds and pulp separately from the zucchini, carving out each half and leaving about a half-inch shell. Chop zucchini pulp into pieces about 1/4 inch in diameter. Discard seeds.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic in hot oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Add ground lamb; continue to cook and stir until lamb is lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir chopped zucchini into the lamb mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer mixture until the zucchini is hot, about 3 minutes. Drain excess grease. Season lamb mixture with coarse salt and black pepper.
• Remove skillet from heat. Stir tomato sauce, tomatoes, feta cheese, pine nuts, and 1/4 cup mint leaves through the lamb mixture; spoon into the zucchini halves. Put stuffed zucchini halves into a large baking dish. Pour water into the baking dish.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Mix bread crumbs and mozzarella cheese in a bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 cup mint leaves over the zucchini and top with the bread crumb mixture. Continue baking until the top is crusty and browned, about 10 minutes more.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Trim ends of zucchini; place in a steamer basket. In a saucepan, bring 1 in. of water to a boil; add basket. Cover and steam for 5 minutes. When zucchini is cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-in. shell. Set pulp aside., In a bowl, beat the egg; add spinach, bread crumbs, tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and zucchini pulp. Spoon into zucchini shells., Place in an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 minutes. Top each with tomatoes and Swiss cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

MANDY'S CRAB STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Slice the zucchini in half the long way, and scoop out the seeds and flesh, leaving a 1/2-inch thick shell all around. Discard flesh, or save for another use. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil, and immerse the zucchini boats in the boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove from the water, drain, and place into a 9x12-inch baking dish. With a paper towel, blot away any excess water from the inside of the zucchini.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir the onion, garlic, and green pepper until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Gently stir in the crabmeat, and cook about 5 more minutes, until the crabmeat is hot. Keep the crabmeat in lump pieces as much as possible. Season the crab mixture with paprika, salt, and black pepper.
• Place the crab mixture into a mixing bowl, and lightly stir in bread crumbs, mayonnaise, and white wine. Add a bit more mayonnaise to help the mixture hold together, if needed. Spoon the filling into the prepared zucchini shells, and brush each zucchini with about 3/4 tablespoon of melted butter. Top each stuffed zucchini with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese melts and the filling is hot, about 15 minutes.

BEEF STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise; cut a thin slice off the bottoms so they sit flat. Scoop out pulp, leaving 1/4-in. shells. Place zucchini shells in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain and set aside. , In a large skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in water and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes or until heated through. , Fill each zucchini shell with 2 tablespoons meat mixture. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; microwave 1-2 minutes longer or until zucchini is tender and cheese is melted.

DROP DEAD DELICIOUS STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Wash zucchini, and put in a pot of cold water (do not remove ends).
• Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes, maybe a little longer depending on the size of your zucchini.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a fairly large skillet.
• Saute garlic first, then add onions, green pepper, thyme, and oregano.
• When the veggies begin to soften, add ground meat (or whatever you are using), season with salt and pepper, and brown until cooked through.
• Drain off any excess grease.
• Set aside to cool slightly.
• When the zucchini have cooked through, remove from water, and allow to cool enough to handle.
• Slice cooled zucchini lengthwise, and scoop out center, leaving a little veggie flesh to form a"boat.
• "Mix ground meat mixture with the red peppers, and the scooped out zucchini (chopped), and the egg.
• Fill the zucchini boats with the mixture, and top each with a slice of cheese.
• Bake in a 375ºF oven for 20-30 minutes, until heated through, and cheese begins to bubble and brown.
• Serve hot.
• Note: If making this dish with tuna or fish, I like to add a little mayo or garlic mayo, and substitute the raw egg for a hard boiled and chopped one.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI WITH CHICKEN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Cut a lengthwise 3/4-inch thick slice from each zucchini. Retain the lengthwise slices. With a spoon, scoop out the flesh, leaving a shell intact all around the zucchini. Discard or save the flesh for another use. Chop up the retained lengthwise slices of zucchini.
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the chicken sausage, breaking the meat up as it cooks, until the sausage has begun to brown, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle in the crushed red pepper flakes, and season with salt and black pepper. Stir in the chopped zucchini, onion, and garlic, and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Scrape the sausage mixture into a bowl, and stir in the tomatoes, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and basil until the stuffing is thoroughly combined.
• Lightly stuff the zucchini boats with the stuffing, place the zucchini into a baking dish, and bake until thoroughly heated through and beginning to brown on top, about 30 minutes.

GIANT STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375. In a large heavy pan, saute shallots in butter. Add garlic, once tender add beef. Cook until no pink remains. Meanwhile scoope out zucchini seeds and center leaving about 1/2 inch of zucchini around the outside. Put zucchini halves in a large baking dish. Add tomatos, scooped out zucchini, fennel seed and other seasonings to the beef mixture. Cook another 5 minutes, then turn off heat and let cool a few minutes. Add bread crumbs, egg and parmesan to meat mixture. Heap mixture into two halves of zucchini. String mozzerella cheese and lay over top of meat mixture. Sprinkle with a little more parmesan. Add 1/4 inch of water to bottom of baking dish. Place in oven and bake for 45 min. or until Zucchini is fork tender but not soggy. Cut into serving sizes and serve.

CRISP ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS STUFFED WITH GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cover 3/4 tablespoon of the sumac with 1 tablespoon of boiling water and leave to infuse for 5 minutes. Add both types of cheese, oregano, walnuts, lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a generous grind of pepper. Mix well.
• Fill the flowers by carefully opening them and either spooning or piping about a tablespoon of the ricotta mixture into each, gently pushing the filling all the way to the bottom of each blossom but being careful not to fill them too much; if you can get someone to hold the flower open for you, it would make it much easier. Gently twist the tips of the petals to secure the filling inside and set aside until you're ready to fry.
• Pour enough oil into a medium (about 8-inch/20-centimeter) nonstick frying pan so that the oil rises about 1 inch/2 centimeters up the sides of the pan. Place on a high heat for 5 minutes and then turn the heat down a fraction.
• Meanwhile, mix the flour and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Slowly pour in the sparkling water, whisking continuously to form a smooth batter.
• When bubbles start to surface in the oil, test it by dropping some batter into the oil: if it sizzles, you are ready. (The oil should hover between 320 and 350 degrees Fahrenheit/160 and 180 degrees Celsius.)
• Lower a zucchini blossom into the batter, turning to coat completely, before carefully placing in the hot oil. Repeat, cooking a few blossoms at a time, adjusting the temperature between batches so they take about 30 seconds on each side to turn a golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and then sprinkle with salt and the remaining 1/4 tablespoon sumac. Serve at once with the lemon wedges alongside.