Dinner•Lunch•Side Dishes

Stuffed Zucchini

April 24, 2020 by karine No Comments

You can really stuff your zucchini with just about anything and it’s a great way to use up left overs… play around, add sausage or beef instead of the bacon-add mushrooms, change it up.  This photo was taken by my culinary student a while back but I wanted to post hers since I forgot to take a photo myself– she did a great job! 

In this version I just used what I had available to me in my fridge and pantry. I added pine nuts as a last minute decision that’s not reflected in the recipe… it added a little extra something special.

Basically, my boats are stuffed with what ever I have…. I once stuffed zucchini with left over taboule which was a nice little twist…and I added feta cheese and kalamata olives. I’ve also made them it with left over rice. My favorite stuffed veggies are tomatoes… just hollow out the tomato, reserve the insides and place into a bowl then add the rest of the ingredients you wish to add… but just put a bit more bread crumbs to the mix, to soak up the tomato juices.

But, I also love this dish zucchini dish as a side-dish because there are so many different textures and flavors in just one bite. Next time I will add more herbs. Let me know if you have your own version.

I’m currently waiting for my zucchini seeds to arrive in the mail from amazon… but just today the governor of Michigan lifted the ban on landscaping purchases… so I may try to start zucchini from seed and also from small plants 🙂

Once it’s zucchini season, I’ll have all sorts of recipes, but until then, enjoy the stuffed boats! 

Print

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

This is a delicious side dish or even a nice lunch-as a side one boat per person or 2 if lunch

Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword zucchini

Ingredients

  • 4 zucchini halved
  • 4 oz bacon-sliced thin
  • 6 cherry tomatoes chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 small onion diced
  • 1/4 cup bread crumbs or panko
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup gruyere/swiss cheese grated
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Cut zucchini in half and spoon out the pulp, leaving 1/2 inch layer

  2. Place pulp in a strainer and lightly salt- this will drain out the excess water and bitterness

  3. Put some salt on zucchini halves-let sit for 15 minutes-set oven to 400 F

  4. Prepare all ingredients

  5. Rinse and pat zucchini dry and place upside-down on a sheet tray and cook for 15 minutes

  6. Get a skillet hot, with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add bacon and render the fat-cook till golden.

  7. Squeeze excess water out of zucchini pulp

  8. Add onions to the bacon and cook further

  9. Add garlic and zuchinni pulp-cook for about 2 minutes

  10. Add cherry tomatoes and turn off

  11. Mix panko/breadcrumbs, parm and grated cheese

  12. Fill the boats with the stuffing and top with panko mixture-salt and pepper

  13. Bake at 400 F for about 25 minutes-until zucchini is tender and cheese melted

Recipe Notes

The boats can keep in the fridge for 5 days and be reheated gently in the oven at 300 F or you can freeze them and pop them in the oven at 350 F for 20 minutes. This side goes with just about any type of protein dish-chicken, fish, eggs, pork, beef, seafood.  Enjoy! 

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