Beef & Bulgur-Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Name: Beef & Bulgur-Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4 servings.
Ingredients: 4 medium zucchini; 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean); 1 large onion, finely chopped; 1 small sweet red pepper, chopped; 1-1/2 cups tomato sauce; 1/2 cup bulgur; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 1/2 cup salsa; 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

My mom frequently cooked giant zucchini that she grew in her garden. I adapted this recipe from one of her favorite weeknight meals. Though I love the taste of fresh-picked zucchini, the ones I've bought from the grocery store work great, too.—Susan Peterson, Blaine, Minnesota.

Ingredients

4 medium zucchini
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 small sweet red pepper, chopped
1-1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup bulgur
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Cut each zucchini lengthwise in half. Scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-in. shell; chop pulp.
In a large skillet, cook beef, onion and red pepper over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, breaking into crumbles; drain. Stir in tomato sauce, bulgur, pepper and zucchini pulp. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 12-15 minutes or until bulgur is tender. Stir in salsa. Spoon into zucchini shells.
Place in a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, covered, 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, 10-15 minutes longer or until zucchini is tender and filling is heated through.

Nutrition Facts

2 stuffed zucchini halves: 361 calories, 13g fat (6g saturated fat), 81mg cholesterol, 714mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 7g fiber), 32g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1 starch.

Originally published as Beef & Bulgur Stuffed Zucchini Boats in Healthy Cooking Annual Recipes 2016

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sgronholz

Oct 2, 2017

This recipe was delicious and a great way to use my abundant zucchini crop! I made the entire recipe for the two of us, and put part of it in the freezer to enjoy later.
MarineMom_texas

Oct 1, 2017

I made this delicious recipe recently. Hubby and I both loved this dish and cleaned our plates. I made no changes to the recipe. We had some left over and it was delicious the next day. I highly recommend this recipe. Definitely worth the 5 stars I gave it.Volunteer Field Editor