Take-out Tuesday, Stuffed Zucchini, 4 Ways!
Zucchini can be your best friend
when you are trying to eat less carbs and lighter foods
It’s available fresh year round
and can be used in an endless variety of ways
The other night my resident chef, HHjr, made zucchini boats
stuffed with sausage, black beans and corn
A very tasty dinner that’s easy to prepare, and full of vegetables
He served it on a bed of rice,
but you can skip the rice and be very happy and full
with just the zucchini boats
You can lighten up this Tex-Mex version of zucchini boats
by eliminating the sausage and use just vegetables and beans
You can also sub a low fat cheese
Sausage, Black Bean and Corn Zucchini Boats recipe at the end of this post
Of course zucchini are perfect for an Italian filling too,
with or without ground beef or sausage,
they are a great way to have a satisfying Italian meal
with a lot less guilt and calories
than traditional spaghetti or lasagna
To prepare zucchini for filling,
Wash zucchini and cut it in half horizontally
Note: you can cut the halves in half again, vertically,
to make shorter boats if desired
Toss them into the microwave,
wrapped in a paper towel,
and cook them for 1-2 minutes to soften to make them easier to scoop out
Sprinkle with salt and let drain upside down on a paper towel
This is so important to prevent a soggy casserole later
Zucchini Boats make a great side dish too,
topped with tomatoes, Italian seasoning, Parmesan and roasted,
they are a healthy and eye catching meal accompaniment
The scored zucchini catches the juice of the halved grape tomatoes
while they’re roasting and makes the zucchini
smell and taste amazing!
Roasted Tomato Zucchini Boats recipe here
And one more lo-carb and lo calorie recipe for stuffed zucchini
is this Italian Hassleback Zucchini “sandwich”
It’s a zucchini sliced “hassleback” style,
cut into deep slices not quite all the way through so it holds together,
and filled with Italian meats and cheese
for a hero sandwich without the bread
Sausage, Corn and Black Bean Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 4 medium large zucchini
- 1 lb breakfast sausage
- 2 cups black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups frozen corn kernels
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 Tbsp taco seasoning
- 8 oz freshly grated extra sharp cheddar
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Wash zucchini, cut off ends and slice in half. Wrap in a clean towel and microwave for 1-2 minutes to soften. Scoop out about half of interior pulp, leaving a shell. Discard pulp, or chop and add to the filling ingredients. Salt shells and place upside down on paper towels to drain while you make the filling.
- Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it into small crumbles. Drain well on paper towels, reserving 1 Tbsp of grease in the pan. Add onions to the pan and cook until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Add sausage back to the pan along with tomato sauce, beans and corn. Season with taco seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.
- Place zucchini boats in a greased casserole dish and fill with sausage, corn and bean mixture. Sprinkle boats with cheese. At this point dish can be covered and refrigerated until baking later.
- Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until hot, time will depend on temperature of dish before baking.
- Serve as is or on a bed of rice
- Plan on 1-2 boats per serving
Notes
Enjoy!
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Jenna, stuffed zucchini is a perfect side addition or the main attraction. I need to make one of these recipes, I have been looking for something different. It seems I have been stuck on the same meal plans. Enjoy your day, it poured rain last night. Hopefully some sunshine today!
Thank you Pam, I like to use spiralized zucchini noodles too, zucchini is such a versatile vegetable!
Love these ideas! Zucchini boats always delight, and your versions look absolutely delicious! Such a good point about salting to remove some of the moisture!
Thanks Dorothy, eating the zucchini boats the other night made it feel almost like summer 🙂
It does! Even though we can get them all year, I think of them as a summer crop, and the local is much tastier. But in January, we are lucky to have them.
All great ideas, I love zucchini!
thanks Martha!
I love stuffed zucchini, peppers and eggplant. Your recipe ideas are a welcome twist on my standard filling. We’ve been using a lot of riced-cauliflower in place of rice. It’s . . . okay, but not as good as rice.
Thanks Leslie Anne, and riced cauliflower is great idea!
Jenna, this is something I’m definitely going to try. I have been desperate for new recipes, because I’m in a cooking rut. Thanks for the inspiration! Enjoy your day!
You’re so welcome Shannon, I hope you enjoy!
These look so delicious and would be a great meal. I’m adding ingredients to my market list. Thanks Jenna, and HHjr………..
Thanks Emily, I love stuffed vegetables, they’re like dinner in a bowl, and fun to make, eat and serve 🙂
I see a zucchini extravaganza next fall when they are everywhere! Love seeing the idea of four ways.
thanks Jeanie, in our area, zucchini is always available and reasonably priced.
I have to say, even though it’s January, the zucchini did look great at the store the other day! My favorite version has Stove Top Stuffing and chicken… Not figure friendly tho:@) Your versions sound great Jenna!
Your version sounds great Lynn, I’ve got to try that!
Oh my gosh! I have to try these!!!!
Oh good! Thanks Lorraine!
Jenna, Yum! HHJr’s zucchini boats stuffed with sausage, black beans and corn sound delicious!
😋
I like your Tex-Mex variation!
thanks, yes it was yummy!
I like your trip about using the microwave to soften up the zucchini for scooping out the interior. Never thought to do that before.
it really helps!
Thank you for sharing at #OverTheMoon. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too! Please stay safe and healthy. Come party with us at Over The Moon! Catapult your content Over The Moon! @marilyn_lesniak @EclecticRedBarn