Beef and Rice Stuffed Zucchini
Fresh zucchini are filled with a mixture of ground beef and rice, flavored with marinara sauce, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, and a bit of crushed red pepper for a little spicy kick. Then we top it with cheese because everything is better with cheese! These are also known as stuffed zucchini boats. They are very similar to stuffed peppers and are a great way to use up the surplus of fresh zucchini you may have.
Servings: 8 stuffed zucchini halves
Calories: 239kcal
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ cup onion
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- ½ cup marinara sauce
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
- 1 cup shredded cheese
Instructions
- Wash zucchini, cut stem end off and cut in half length-wise. Scoop out inside of zucchini with a small spoon or melon baller, leaving about ¼" thick walls, discard cores. Place in a casserole dish or on a rimmed baking sheet.4 medium zucchini
- Chop the onion and shred the cheese.
- Cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat until the beef is no longer pink, about 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.1 pound ground beef, ½ cup onion, 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- Add marinara sauce, rice, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and red pepper and heat, stirring occasionally until hot (about 3-4 minutes).½ cup marinara sauce, 1 cup cooked rice, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Stuff zucchini with beef and rice mixture. Top with cheese.1 cup shredded cheese
- Bake in a 375° oven for 20-30 minutes or until the zucchini is tender when pierced with a fork.
Notes
We use medium zucchini for this recipe, they are about 7" long and 2 - 2 ½" wide. This particular recipe makes the perfect amount to fill 8 zucchini halves.
Total cook time includes the time it takes to brown the ground meat and cook the zucchini.
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Nutritional information is approximate.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1zucchini half | Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 280mg | Potassium: 499mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 377IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 2mg