The heat. The humidity. The blazing sun that melts your shoes if you stand still on the blacktop for 2 minutes. Totally normal for this time of year, right? I know there are many of you out there that love hot weather. Good on ya’. Have at it. Enjoy. But get me the heck outta here.
Yes, I said it. I admit that I hate (and I can’t stress HATE enough) hot weather. If I could find a place in the world where it was perpetually 75 degrees during the day and 45 degrees at night, I would move there and never leave. Of course, I may have to leave my husband behind if I do that. He’s a southern boy who comes from a place where, as he puts it, you walk outside and DRINK your first breath of fresh air. (insert sound of gagging here)
So since I like him more than I hate the weather (it’s splitting hairs on some days, but still), I have to find ways to make me feel like it’s cooler weather while not eating like it is. In cold weather, I love braised, baked, stuffed, hearty dishes that stick to your ribs (and maybe my thighs, too). I crave the dishes that make you feel like you should be wearing a big, comfy sweater when you settle down to dinner. But in the summer, those dishes just make me warmer! What’s a girl to do?
Change it up, and suck it up. That’s what I have to do. And luckily, I have found a way to combine my desire for heartier fare with ingredients that don’t make me feel like I need to immediately take a nap. This particular recipe is a perfect fit for that battle between comfort food and summer fare. And like so many (OK, many MANY) of my recipes, it can be changed up depending on what you find at the local farmer’s market, or what you may have on hand in your pantry and freezer.
Join me as I pine for cooler weather, and dive in to these stuffed zucchini boats! They make me want to sail away to cooler climes without feeling like I just ate a winter meal.
p.s. How long until it’s Fall??
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4 people | 40 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 20 minutes |
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What is great about this recipe is that I grabbed a bunch of items I'd picked up at my local farmer's market (peppers, zucchini, onions, corn) and began adding other ingredients based on what I had in the house. And because it's so easy to make, the kiddos can get involved easily, too. Bonus points: If you are looking to make a vegetarian or vegan version, it's simple enough to do with a few changes of ingredients. It's a great summer meal that will fill you up without weighing you down.
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- 4 medium zucchini
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 ears fresh corn, kernels removed
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 3 sprigs fresh oregano
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brown the beef, and pour off any excess fat. Seat ground beef aside.
- Shuck the ears of corn, and remove kernel from cobs.
- Cut zucchini in half, and remove the insides of zucchini, leaving a 1" border. Dice portion of zucchini that was removed from each "boat".
- In a large skillet, saute peppers and onions over medium heat.
- Add kernels of corn, and saute until they begin to soften.
- Add fresh herbs, salt & pepper. Stir to incorporate into vegetable saute.
- Add ground beef to mixture, and stir to incorporate.
- Add diced zucchini to mixture, and stir until zucchini just begin to soften. Remove from heat.
- Place zucchini boats in oven-safe dish that has been coated with cooking spray. Add spoonfuls of vegetable and beef mixture to each boat, careful not to overfill.
- Top each zucchini boat with shredded Parmesan cheese. If there is any extra stuffing, spread it in the dish around the base of the zucchini boats.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the cheese begins to crisp on top of each zucchini.
- Serve either as a main dish, or a side to another meal.
As I've mentioned, I love the variety that can be added to dishes like this one. If you have Summer squash instead of zucchini, that will work, too. Other squash can also be substituted, but if they are of a heartier variety (i.e. acorn or butternut squash), they cooking time may be longer as they have a sturdier exterior.
For the beef, you can swap that out for ground pork, turkey, chicken, or even any leftover protein you may have in the refrigerator.
What ingredients would you put in this fun Summer dish?
These look magnificent! Can’t wait until I get some zucchini from the garden! YUM!
I love the variety of shapes, sizes and colors this time of year!
what a really fun way to stuff a zucchini!!
I have zucchini just picked from my garden that this would work perfectly with. Love this idea loaded with lots of other veggies. Delicious!
I love summer, lol. But this recipe looks delish either way! I’ve never seen such a ROUND zucchini!
Arg, I do not get along with the heat at all. I want to vacation in cold weather climates! Thankfully I am from Canada so my weather is usually okay, but this past week has been terrible!! These zucchini boats would cheer me up (and my zucchini-obsessed husband would be all over them!)
You sound just like me. I hate summer. It is too hot and humid here in Georgia. I am already counting down to cooling off in mid-September. Luckily recipes like this are perfect for these steaming hot days.