Stuffed Summer Zucchini Boats
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.
Servings Prep Time
4people 40minutes
Cook Time
20minutes
Servings Prep Time
4people 40minutes
Cook Time
20minutes
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brown the beef, and pour off any excess fat. Seat ground beef aside.
  2. Shuck the ears of corn, and remove kernel from cobs.
  3. Cut zucchini in half, and remove the insides of zucchini, leaving a 1″ border. Dice portion of zucchini that was removed from each “boat”.
  4. In a large skillet, saute peppers and onions over medium heat.
  5. Add kernels of corn, and saute until they begin to soften.
  6. Add fresh herbs, salt & pepper. Stir to incorporate into vegetable saute.
  7. Add ground beef to mixture, and stir to incorporate.
  8. Add diced zucchini to mixture, and stir until zucchini just begin to soften. Remove from heat.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the cheese begins to crisp on top of each zucchini.
  12. Serve either as a main dish, or a side to another meal.
Recipe Notes

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?