Stuffed Zucchini

Even though the clock is ticking down on summer, the farms are still loaded with quality produce, and I'm busy stocking the freezer with meals. On my last trip, I grabbed some to make these Zucchini Carrot Muffins but had 2 left over. What to do with the rest? I searched the Taste of Home website and found this recipe for Stuffed Zucchini.

The recipe calls for 4 to 5 zucchini, and I considered halving the recipe, but I also had 2 cubanelle peppers, and I thought the filling would work well in those too. Only a few small changes to this one.  I don't like green bell peppers, so I used red.  For the bread crumbs, I used chunk of a locally baked loaf of Parmesan, Basil and Oregano bread.  Be careful not to pack the filling in too tightly, or it won't cook properly.

I ate one immediately after cooking them, absolutely delicious.  The rest I put on a baking sheet and into the freezer.  When they were solid, I vacuum-sealed them in single portions. Thank you so much to Marjorie R. for this wonderful recipe!

Stuffed Zucchini

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 1 1/4 cups soft bread crumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cans tomato sauce (8 ounces each) divided
• 2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 4 medium zucchini (4 to 5)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine first 11 ingredients and one can of the tomato sauce; mix well. Stir in tomatoes. Halve zucchini lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Fill with meat mixture; place in two 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes. Spoon remaining tomato sauce over each.
2. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 45 minutes or until the zucchini is tender. Sprinkle with cheese during the last few minutes of baking. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Notes

Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/stuffed-zucchini

Other recipes you may enjoy:

Chicken Pesto Stuffed Peppers

Quinoa Stuffed Squash Boats

Quinoa and Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

beef, zucchini

Main dishes, appetizers

American

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