Garden Zucchini with Savory Meat Filling

Garden Zucchini  with Savory Meat Filling

Zucchini season is here in California, and if you’re like me, you’ve got more garden-fresh zucchini than recipes to use them! Whether I’m frying, baking, mashing, serving them raw, or stuffing them—zucchini is always on the menu this time of year.

These Garden Zucchini with savory meat filling  are one of my favorite ways to enjoy a summer harvest. They look impressive, but they’re surprisingly easy to make. Most of the effort is in the prep. Once they’re stuffed and assembled, just pop them in the oven and bake—no last-minute fuss! They’re perfect for a simple summer dinner or a make-ahead crowd-pleaser.

Things to know about this garden zucchini with savory meat filling

Start by washing and cutting the zucchini in half. With a tablespoon remove the inside being careful to leave the skin intact. Next give them a good rub of olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.

Now your ready to roast them  for 15 minutes while you make the stuffing. To make the filling heat the olive oil and butter, then add the onion and garlic, cook until tender.

Add the ground beef and reserved zucchini when the onions begin to turn brown. Brown the beef then add the rice, this is the time to salt and pepper, now add the chicken stock and cook covered for 10 minutes or until the rice is bite tender.

At this point you may need more stock, only add small amounts at a time, you don’t want a wet stuffing. After the filling is off the fire add the parmesan cheese and herbs, fill zucchini skins with the stuffing, top with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

This is a prefect make ahead meal, it’s freeze friendly and taste even better as a reheat and of course like most of my recipes it’s customizable, you can use ground turkey or chicken or use tofu if you want to go the vegetarian route.

Which ever way you go it will be delicious, let me know if you make this recipe, leave me a comment down below and please don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, I love hearing from you !!! If you are like me with more zucchini than recipes try my vegetarian zucchini and tomato pasta recipe, it’s delicious and easy to make.

Ingredients

  • 4 zucchini sliced
  • 1/2 lbs. extra lean ground beef
  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 2 cups prepared marinara sauce
  • 2 tomatoes chopped
  • 1/2 chopped onion
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 2 tablespoons each chopped Italian parsley and basil
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  2. Cut zucchini in half with a spoon remove the insides and set aside
  3. Rub zucchini skins with  olive oil, garlic,  salt and pepper
  4. Roast the zucchini skins for 15 minutes
  5. Mean while in a large saute pan in 2 tablespoons each of butter and olive oil saute the onion and garlic until tender and just beginning to brown
  6. Add the ground beef and reserved zucchini cook until brown
  7.  Add the rice and tomatoes salt and pepper now
  8. Add the chicken stock
  9. Cook covered for 10 minutes
  10. Add the parmesan cheese and herbs
  11. Fill zucchini with the stuffing
  12. Pour the marinara sauce over them
  13. Top with the mozzarella
  14. Bake covered  for 30 minutes