Zucchini Boats
After working hard all our lives and raising a family, we're now enjoying a simpler life. Getting back to the basics means enjoying old-fashioned comfort foods like these stuffed zucchini boats. —Mrs. C. Thon, Atlin, British Columbia
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini (about 8 inches)
- 3/4 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
- 1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- Salt and pepper to taste
Reviews
Make many variations of zucchini boats in the summer but made this one exactly as written.. It was very good and the mushrooms were an ingredient I've never used in a zuke boat. They added a nice flavor. Only thing I would do in the future would add some fresh basil and would sprinkle boats lightly with granulated garlic.
I only added some fresh basil and 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste. My hubbie loved it. I had a huge zucchini from the garden so I deseeded it with a spoon before using the meat. Yummy and so easy.
This was delicious! I made exactly as written except used marinara sauce instead of ketchup. My family loved it, I served it with spaghetti and the rest of the marinara sauce. Super easy!
I too made a few changes. We eat a lot of venison so I added a little bacon a little moisture, and I used marinara sauce. My husband loved it and I know I’ll make it again.
I made this recipe with a couple variations... all excellent! I used Italian sausage for one and ground beef with black beans and salsa for the other. As with most foods I cook, I always adjust seasonings in sauces to taste.
Great idea! I omitted the zuke pulp altogether, and pre-baked the shells for about 20 minutes before adding the veggie/ beef mixture. I also seasoned the filling as if it was shepherd's pie: ketchup, worcestershire, and fresh rosemary. Monterey jack shredded cheese was used instead of cheddar and voila! Delish! Thanks!!
Been making a similar recipe for years. To tenderize the zucchini pulp, I place in microwave for 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the number of zucchini. I use considerably more ketchup (to personal preference), add cooked rice and the mashed zucchini pulp to the mixture, and I do not pre-cook the ground beef before baking. I also use mozzarella instead of cheddar on top, not mixed in, for the last few minutes of the baking time. I, too, use onions, mushrooms, and green peppers. One of my favorite meals,and it's in the oven as I type.
Made this several times. Love it each time.
This was okay. Pretty easy to make but not as flavorful as I would like.
As is, I would rate this recipe a 3.5/4 stars. Modifications I plan to make for the next time: 1) sweet italian sausage instead of ground beef, 2) pasta sauce instead of ketchup, 3) blanch the zucchini 1-2 minutes in water, 4) salt and pepper the zucchini boat bottoms prior to filling. I recommend the blanching because though my boats were cooked, they weren't exactly "tender". I could still get a fork through it, but it had more snap than I was expecting or wanting. Also, maybe brush oil on the zucchini before cooking so the exposed edges don't get so dry.