Zucchini Boats

I for one have always had a soft spot for zucchini.  I still remember walking over to my great grandmother's house and helping her pick it fresh from her garden.  I've loved the stuff for as long as I can remember and will pretty much eat it any way it can be prepared: zucchini chips, zucchini cakes, zucchini bread, fried zucchini, grilled zucchini, baked zucchini....need I go on?

But I know a lot of people who aren't so chummy with this veggie.  And that's what this dish is for.  These zucchini boats are simply pieces of zucchini halved with a bit of the middle scooped out.  In that little hollow I stuffed them with tomatoes and onions.  And a bit of cheese of course.  I'm pretty sure even the most zucchini averse 4 year old might give these a try.

The good thing about this recipe is that you can adapt it pretty much any way you like.  The recipe below is a super simple version, but I would have loved to have added some turkey sausage or some bell pepper if I had had any on hand.  Go with your personal preferences and spiffy this up to suit yourself and your family.

Enjoy!



Zucchini Boats CCK Original
Printable Version
4 medium zucchinis
olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 12oz can pre-seasoned diced tomatoes, drained*
1/4 onion, minced
parmesan cheese

*Using seasoned tomatoes keeps you from having to add spices and herbs yourself.  If you don't use a pre-seasoned can make sure to add some garlic or oregano to give them some extra flavor.  You can use any brand but I used Publix Greenwise because it's what I had in the pantry.


Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Remove top portion of zucchinis and split in half lengthwise.  You will end up with 8 pieces.  Use spoon and scoop out just a bit of the flesh of the zucchini.

*I like zucchini, so I didn't remove a lot and therefore didn't use as much filling.  You can remove more flesh if you want to stuff them with more filling.

Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Combine tomatoes and onion in small bowl and mix well.  Gently spoon mixture into zucchinis.  Top with cheese.

Roast for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and serve immediately.