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Stuffed zucchini served with ground meat and cheese
Simple and delicious stuffed zucchini with cheese topping

Meat Lovers' Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Vegetarian & Vegan Dishes Main Courses Side Dishes
Zucchini is one of summer's most abundant vegetables, and its neutral flavor makes it the perfect vessel for savory meat sauce. During baking, the zucchini's water turns into steam, tenderizing the filling from within, while the cheese on top bakes to a crisp.
🕒 Prep Time 20 mins
🍳 Cook Time 35 mins
⌛ Total Time 55 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 480 kcal
🌍 Cuisine International

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Baking dish
  • Spoon for scooping
  • Skillet for sauce

Allergen Information

⚠️ Milk

Instructions

1 ✓

Par-cook the rice in salted water. Halve the zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the centers. Chop the scooped-out flesh.

Tip: Don't throw away the zucchini flesh; it loosens the filling!
2 ✓

Sauté onion in oil, then brown the ground meat. Once browned, add the zucchini flesh and garlic.

Tip: Browning the meat (Maillard reaction) provides the flavor base.
3 ✓

Mix the meat with the rice and season. Stuff back into the zucchini boats.

Tip: Heap it up generously.
4 ✓

Pour tomato sauce into the bottom of a baking dish and nestle the zucchini in it.

Tip: The sauce steam tenderizes the zucchini from below and prevents burning.
5 ✓

Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 30-35 minutes.

Tip: If the cheese browns too fast, cover with foil.

Recipe FAQ

Too watery!
Zucchini releases a lot of water. Salt the hollowed zucchini for 10 minutes, then wipe off the moisture before baking.
Should I cook the rice?
Only halfway. If you put it in raw, it will absorb moisture from the meat and might stay hard.

Ingredients

  • 4 pcs Medium Zucchini
  • 1 lb Ground Meat (Beef/Pork mix)
  • 1 head Onion
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 0.33 cup Rice
  • 1 cup Tomato Sauce
  • 1 cup Shredded Cheese
  • 2 tbsp Oil
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 0.5 tsp Pepper
  • 1 bunch Parsley