Slow Cooker Stuffed Squash

Slow Cooker Stuffed Squash is an all-in-one easy meal filled with meat and rice.

These can be stuffed with so many variations from Middle Eastern flavors, Italian, Mexican and more with all our suggestions below.

Our basic recipes are super easy on how to make stuffed squash and we have several tips to make a perfect meal.

Squash is low in calories and there are even some variations for a vegetarian stuffed squash below.

With just a few ingredients the stuffing can make a new meal every time you make this dish.

Even if you don't have a slow cooker, we have other cooking methods below to get this meal on your tables quickly.

Stuffed squash can be made in the oven, stovetop, instant pot, or slow-cooked like we have for you today.

We also have an easy Zucchini Bisquick Bread Stick recipe that will go perfectly with this meal that we would love for you to try.

Scroll down to print off all our stuffing recipe ideas.

Different Flavors

Depending on the meat you use or vegetables you can determine the spices to add.


I like to use a combination of allspice and a dash of cinnamon for lamb meat and use ground beef with Italian seasoning and garlic for an Italian style.


The filling can be adjusted to your own ethnic flavors by just adding the same seasonings you are used to with any meats you cook.

Some Ingredients You Will Need

• ground lamb, hamburger, or turkey
• raw quick-cooking rice or regular rice cooked
• fresh minced garlic
• dried basil
• cayenne pepper to taste
• granulated garlic powder
• dry basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• cayenne pepper
• fresh basil leaf chopped
• allspice
• tomato paste
• fresh plum tomatoes
• water or chicken broth
• white or red wine
• zucchini dark green, yellow or green squash

Meats You Can Use

1. ground beef with Italian seasoning and garlic
2. ground turkey or chicken with any of the seasoning suggestions
3. lamb with allspice, cinnamon, or 7 spice seasoning
4. ground pork (barbecue seasoning or sauce)
5. a combination of beef and pork Cajun seasonings
6. Italian loose sausage with Italian seasoning
7. seafood with lemon pepper, garlic

Vegetarian Stuffed

• diced tomatoes
• peppers
• onion
• mushrooms
• cubed eggplant
• olives
• asparagus
• diced carrots
• shaved shredded cabbage

Other Stuffing Suggestions

• use the scooped out zucchini with bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and any kind of olives
• add Italian sausage, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and sliced peppers 
• add shaved meats like pork or steak with onions, sauce, any kinds of melted cheese, and hot sauce
• diced boneless cooked chicken breasts, tomato sauce, sprinkled with bread crumbs topped with mozzarella cheese
• shrimp, parmesan, tomato sauce, garlic, mozzarella (or use another mild fish)
• buffalo chicken using tenders, buffalo sauce, shredded cheddar ( you can add rice also and black beans)
• white canned beans, rice, tomato sauce, and mozzarella
• chicken with bacon, peppers, onions, cheddar, mushrooms, rice, and use a chicken gravy

Cooking Methods

• Stovetop: use a dutch oven simmer for around an hour until the squash is soft and meat is cooked
• Oven: bake at 350 degrees covered for the first 30 minutes then undercover for another 30 minutes top with more sauce if it begins to dry out
• Instant Pot: Add 1 cup of water to the bottom, set on pressure cooker mode for 40 minutes
• Slow Cooker: place on high for 4 hours, low 4 to 6 hours

Tips

• Do not cut through the bottom of the squash
• Use a melon ball scoop, a small teaspoon to hollow them out or even for whole squash use an apple corer to get the centers out 
• if you like squash firmer cook the meats first and reduce cooking times
• instant rice works the best raw
• I use  raw fast cooking rice however if using long grain regular rice I cook it first al dente
• any color squash works great
• use the inner middles hollowed out for Zucchini bread and other desserts

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More Squash Recipes To Try

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Zucchini Rollatini


Zucchini Fritters

Easy Dinner Recipe

Using a slow cooker for making stuffed squash will cook perfectly without standing over a hot stove and perfect for the busy homemakers.


We just love the different stuffings you can use to change these from middle eastern flavors to a Mexican recipe, seasoned Italian style by just getting a little creative with using the ingredients and styles your family loves..


Don't forget to read all my tips on how to make this simple slow cooker stuffed squash made easy.

Slow Cooker Stuffed Squash

Yield: 12

Author: Claudia Lamascolo

Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 3 HourTotal time: 3 H & 25 M

This squash has a middle eastern spiced flair that's hollowed out and stuffed with a meat and rice mixture. An easy slow cooker meal bursting with flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 lb of ground beef, lamb, or turkey
• 8 to 10 small and variety of squash IE: zucchini, yellow or green squash, Mexican striped or Kusa ( a middle eastern variety light green)
• 1 cup of raw quick-cooking rice or use 1 cup cooked regular long-grain rice al dente
• 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dry basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Optional: 2 sprigs of freshly chopped mint and 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• enough water to just cover the squash
• 1 small can (12 ounces) diced tomatoes
• Add 1/2 cup white wine.

Instructions

1. Wash and cut the stem off the squash then slice it lengthwise or leave whole hollowed-out see notes
2. Note: use a small small, melon ball scoop or) apple corer for removing the center of the whole squash) make a nice hollowed-out well leaving the bottom in tack for stuffing.
3.  ( save the  leftover centers you've scooped out for zucchini bread)
4. In a small bowl mix the rice,  garlic, spices, dried basil, mint (not the basil leaf), raw meat, and half the small can of diced tomatoes in the bowl.
5. Stuff the open-faced or hollowed-out squash with the meat mixture.
6. Place stacked in the slow cooker.
7. Mix the tomato paste, rest of the diced tomatoes, with wine or use chicken broth.
8. Pour into the slow cooker.
9. Add the bay leaf,
10. Cover set the slow cooker on high for around 2 to 3 hours or until the squash is soft.

Notes:

Cooking Methods

• Stovetop: use a dutch oven simmer for around an hour until the squash is soft and meat is cooked
• Oven: bake at 350 degrees covered for the first 30 minutes then undercover for another 30 minutes top with more sauce if it begins to dry out
• Instant Pot: Add 1 cup of water to the bottom, set on pressure cooker mode for 40 minutes
• Slow Cooker: place on high for 4 hours, low 4 to 6 hours

Tips

• Do not cut through the bottom of the squash
• Use a teaspoon to hollow them out if you like squash firmer cook the meats first and reduce cooking times
• instant rice works the best raw
• I use raw fast cooking rice however if using long grain regular rice I cook it first al dente
• any color squash works great
• use the inner middles hollowed out for Zucchini bread and other desserts

Other Stuffing Suggestions

• use the scooped out zucchini with bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and any kind of olives
• add Italian sausage, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and sliced peppers 
• add shaved meats like pork or steak with onions, sauce, any kinds of melted cheese, and hot sauce
• diced boneless cooked chicken breasts, tomato sauce, sprinkled with bread crumbs topped with mozzarella cheese
• shrimp, parmesan, tomato sauce, garlic, mozzarella (or use another mild fish)
• buffalo chicken using tenders, buffalo sauce, shredded cheddar ( you can add rice also and black beans)
• white canned beans, rice, tomato sauce, and mozzarella
• chicken with bacon, peppers, onions, cheddar, mushrooms, rice, and use a chicken gravy

Nutrition Facts

Calories

184.32

Fat (grams)

9.07

Sat. Fat (grams)

3.37

Carbs (grams)

7.23

Fiber (grams)

1.11

Net carbs

6.12

Sugar (grams)

1.85

Protein (grams)

15.89

Sodium (milligrams)

85.50

Cholesterol (grams)

50.81

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https://www.whatscookinitalianstylecuisine.com/2010/09/crockpot-stuffed-zucchini-recipe-in.html

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Italian, American

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Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2010. It was edited and re-published in 2021.