Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats

I'm a big fan of stuffing vegetables these days and this recipe is no exception. Using veggies instead of tortillas or tacos are a great way to save on calories while getting in some extra vitamins from the vegetables. This particular recipe makes enough filling for more than 3 zucchini, but I saved the leftover mixture for another meal!

Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Ingredients:

3 medium zucchini

1 medium onion, diced

2 Italian peppers, diced (or 1 green bell pepper)

1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes, reserving 3/4 cup

1 tsp of minced garlic

1 lb of grass fed beef or you can substitute ground turkey

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

Dice your onion & peppers, and brown your ground beef & garlic in a large pan.

When your beef in almost done, add in the diced veggies.

Mix well and continue to cook until the ground beef is no longer pink.

Next add in the can of crushed tomatoes (remember to reserve 3/4 cup), Italian seasoning, & sea salt, and cracked pepper to taste.

Let your mixture simmer on low while you cut your zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the inside, leaving a thin layer in the shell so they will stand up.

Pour the reserved crushed tomatoes into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish and spread to fill the dish.

Next fill your zucchini with the beef mixture, be generous with your filling!

Next, cover the zucchini boats with the shredded cheese.

 Bake them at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Then broil them for about 5 minutes until the cheese is brown and bubbling. (All ovens are different so make sure to watch them on broil - they get brown very quickly!)

I sprinkled a pinch of shredded Parmesan and parsley on mine afterwards, but that is optional. These go great with a side salad.

P.S. I saved my leftover mixture and added a can of drained & rinsed kidney beans and gave it to my husband for lunch the next day as chili!

You can also toss it with some pasta or spaghetti squash too.