Baked Stuffed Zucchini Squash

Baked Stuffed Zucchini is one of the tastiest one-pan meals you will ever make and so delicious.


These can be stuffed with so many variations and used as a wonderful edible food bowl.


This recipe is basic so adding the meats or all vegetables you prefer makes these a new meal every time with my many filling suggestions below.


Whether these are all vegetarian zucchini boats or all meats with rice, the interchangeable additions await you below.


The spices can be adapted from Italian to even Middle Eastern flavors.


This baked version is healthier however I have several cooking alternatives that are equally delicious with creative stuffings.


You can also simmer this on the stovetop or even use an instant pot slow cooked.


Scroll down to print off these delicious stuffed zucchini recipes.

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
• fresh minced garlic
• fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried
• cayenne pepper to taste
• granulated garlic powder
• dry basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• cayenne pepper
• fresh basil leaf chopped
• fresh oregano chopped
• fresh mint chopped
• allspice
• tomato paste
• fresh plum tomatoes
• water or chicken broth
• white or red wine
• zucchini dark green, yellow or green squash
• olive oil

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 Cajon 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 cheese and broil
• Instant Pot: Add 1 cup of water to the bottom, set on pressure cooker mode for 40 minutes
• Slow Cooker: place on high for 6 hours adding 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup tomato sauce on the bottom first.

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 cooked rice if its regular grain rice
• any color squash works great
• use the inner middles hollowed out for Zucchini bread and other desserts

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If you are looking for zucchini boats stuffed, these baked zucchini creative ideas in this post will get a different version on your tables every time you make them.


Just remember to be creative, if you love the chicken buffalo style, use cooked chicken tender with buffalo sauce, shredded cheddar, and even rice the combinations are endless.


Don't forget to check out all my other filling suggestions, there is something for everyone on stuffing zucchini!

Baked Stuffed Zucchini

Yield: 8

Author: Claudia Lamascolo

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 2 HourTotal time: 2 H & 20 M

These are baked hollowed stuffed zucchini boats. There are several options for filling suggestions and recipes. These are all over the top delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 lb of ground lamb, hamburger, or turkey
• 2 cup of raw quick-cooking rice or regular
• 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic
• 2 sprigs of fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried
• cayenne pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dry basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 whole fresh basil leaf chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano chopped
• 2 sprigs of fresh mint chopped
• Optional: 1 teaspoon allspice or more to taste and 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• (for a Middle Eastern flavor)
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 pound of fresh plum tomatoes put through food processor skins and all
• water or chicken broth
• white or red wine
• 8 large or 10 small assorted colored zucchini dark green, yellow or green squash ... if your lucky enough to cultivate Kusa's from seeds those are the best of both squash to use!
• olive oil
• Optional: shredded mozzarella cheese for the garnish
• Note: You can use other meats and stuffing ideas
• ground beef with Italian seasoning and garlic
• ground turkey or chicken with any of the seasoning suggestions
• lamb with allspice, cinnamon, or 7 spice seasoning
• ground pork (barbecue seasoning or sauce)
• a combination of beef and pork Cajon seasonings
• Italian loose sausage with Italian seasoning
• seafood with lemon pepper, garlic
• 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
• shrimp, parmesan, tomato sauce, garlic, mozzarella (or use another mild fish)

Instructions

1. Mix rice, and whatever ground meat you like some lamb, beef, sausage, or a mixture of them.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and all spices except fresh minced garlic together in a medium-sized bowl.
3. I like to add a little red wine to this mixture around 4 tablespoons plus a splash of olive oil.
4. Set aside in the refrigerator.
5. In the meantime, slice zucchini in the length then in halves this usually makes sixteen halves.
6. Scoop out all the insides with a spoon and put aside to make desserts or use with eggs.
7. Take the lamb mixture and press tightly into hollowed-out zucchini.
8. Place them in a foil pan or into a dutch oven saucepan.
9. Add water, wine, or chicken broth to the bottom of the pan.
10. Add the rest of the paste.
11. Keep stacking the zucchini with the stuffing faced up.
12. Add more liquid of choice, to be halfway up the pan using.
13. Note: You will have to add more water or liquid if using regular rice as these cook.
14. Add 2 whole garlic cloves in the tomato-water mixture, 1 fresh basil leaf, and salt, pepper to taste, and some fresh mint in the liquid.
15. Place in a dutch oven pan that has a tight-fitting lid in the oven at 350 degrees until the rice and zucchini are tender takes around an hour and a half to cook.
16. If adding the cheese sprinkle them the last half hour of cooking until the cheese is melted.
17. Once the fork goes through the squash it's done.
18. You can do this on top of the stove also. I like to make mine, it seems to control the heat better.
19. Here's a crockpot recipe for stuffed squash: Crockpot Stuffed Squash
20. Want desserts using that leftover zucchini? Try these recipes: Zucchini Coconut Bread, Chocolate Zucchini Bread,
21. Cooking Methods:
22. Stovetop: use a dutch oven simmer for around an hour until the squash is soft and meat is cooked
23. Oven: bake at 350 degrees covered for the first 30 minutes then undercover for another 30 minutes top with cheese and broil
24. Instant Pot: Add 1 cup of water to the bottom, set on pressure cooker mode for 40 minutes
25. Slow Cooker: place on high for 6 hours adding 1/2 cup water with 1/2 cup tomato sauce on the bottom first.

Calories

1110.06

Fat (grams)

58.79

Sat. Fat (grams)

22.19

Carbs (grams)

56.30

Fiber (grams)

8.46

Net carbs

47.84

Sugar (grams)

15.02

Protein (grams)

85.73

Sodium (milligrams)

1754.59

Cholesterol (grams)

294.12

https://www.whatscookinitalianstylecuisine.com/2011/08/baked-italian-stuffed-zucchini-squash.html

baked stuffed zucchini, vegetarian stuffed zucchini, rice and meat stuffed zucchini, zucchini boats

zucchini recipes, casseroles recipes, stuffing recipes, vegetarian recipes, healthy recipes

American, Italian, French

Created using The Recipes Generator

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Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2011. It was edited and re-published in 2021.