One thing we always had a lot of growing up was zucchini. My dad’s garden would overflow with it for a few weeks each year when it was at its peak. During this time we would overdose on it – fried, boiled, in bread, as fritters. Shredding it was never fun, but the end result was usually worth it.
While zucchini is a summer squash this dish has all the comforts of winter for me. I found it on the Food Network a few years ago. If I can score an overpriced zucchini this time of year at the store, I like to whip it up for something different. It always makes for a lean, high protein, healthy carb dinner with all the vitamins tomatoes and squash have to offer.
I like the zucchini stuffed better than I do the peppers so while the original recipe is Stuffed Zucchini and Red Bell Peppers my version is just zucchini. Below is my adapted recipe, click the link to see the original.
Stuffed Zucchini
Adapted from the Food Network and Giada De Laurentiis
Olive oil
1 small onion, grated
¼ c parsley, chopped
1 egg
3 tbsp ketchup
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1/3 c grated parmesan
¼ c dried bread crumbs
1 lb ground turkey
3 to 4 zucchini, halved and hallowed out
1 ½ c marinara sauce (I use my homemade version)
1 small onion, grated
¼ c parsley, chopped
1 egg
3 tbsp ketchup
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1/3 c grated parmesan
¼ c dried bread crumbs
1 lb ground turkey
3 to 4 zucchini, halved and hallowed out
1 ½ c marinara sauce (I use my homemade version)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle oil in oven proof baking dish. Whisk together – onion, parsley, egg, ketchup, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix with ground turkey, bread crumbs and cheese. Stuff the zucchini with the meat mixture, arrange in dish. Cover with marinara (you could also top it with cheese) and bake for 45 minutes.
I grew zucchini (well, I call it courgette 🙂 ) for the first time this year – so I ate (and pickled) a lot of it this summer. Stuffing it sounds like a great way to go – I saw another great stuffed courgette recipe (but with a veggie stuffing) just the other day on another Irish food blog here: http://italianfoodies.wordpress.com/2009/01/18/stuffed-courgettes/
YUM! Bookmarking this!
NOSTALGIA ALERT!!!! I grew up eating stuffed zucchini, stuffed tomato, stuffed pepper, and stuff cabbage dishes, made from scratch by Mom 😀
My freezer is stuffed w/shredded and chopped zucchini from our garden, too, (Daily Spud, you’ll have to share your pickling process) so I’ll have to buy a whole one to try out this recipe.
Yum!! I haven’t had zucchini in a while. Now I’m craving it!
I’m saving this one! I just need to substitute gluten-free bread crumbs and I’ll be good to go 🙂 It looks great.
Daily Spud – Thanks for sharing the name in your neck of the woods. I’m always glad to expand my produce knowledge. Thanks so much for sharing that recipe. It sounds great and a nice change from the meat version. I’d probably even like it better.
Erica – It is tasty!
VeggieGirl – So glad I could evoke some fond memories. 🙂
TN – There are so many uses for the shredded stuff. It is nice to have it on hand.
Happy Runner – Hope you can find it near you. They usually have a little bit of it in our grocery store back home this time of year.
Jolene – That shouldn’t be a hard substitution at all. You might even be able to leave it out or use some gluten free cracker crumbs.
I love it! Looks delicious!
I have two leftover zucchinis sitting in my fridge! This is great!
Meg – It definitely is!
Healthy Ashley – That is great news! You should give it a try. I think you’ll like it.
Thank you so much for posting this. I made this at home and my husband and I both went crazy it was so good! He even said “you have to make this like 2 or 3 times a month”! He REALLY likes variety and so for him to want me to make something so “often” was a big deal haha. Also, I have been looking for ways to make veggies more of a main part of our meals rather than always as a side or IN something else and this was great.
Mrs H – Thanks so much for adding your comment. That is great news! I’m glad you liked it so much. We really enjoy it too.
Saw on your profile that you enjoy Christian music. Any favorite artists? I love Jennifer Knapp and Skillet. I’ve been out of the loop since moving to Brazil, though. I haven’t heard much of the new stuff to come out.