Cheesy Hamburger Stuffed Zucchini Boats Recipe

"A great way to get your kids to eat vegetables. Stuffed with pretty much anything. You can use sausage, breading; or make it vegetarian, or go Greek with artichokes, olives, and eggplant; try cheddar, bacon, ham, onion and tomato; or Italian with salami, pepperoni and cheese. Have fun with these. This happens to be one of my favorites. I often make a spicier sausage one for the adults, but often make a milder version for the kids; and ... the adults love it too."

Step by Step Method

Step 1

Filling ... In a medium size saute pan, add the olive oil and bring to medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook until golden brown breaking it up as you cook. Remove to a plate once it is done lined with a paper towel.

Step 2

Vegetables ... Run a spoon down the center of the zucchini after you cut them lengthwise to take out some of the seeds. Then scoop out some of the flesh using a small spoon. Save the flesh to use back in the filling.

Step 3

Filling Again ... In the same pan that you cooked the beef in, pour out all but 2 teaspoons of the drippings. Bring to medium heat and add the onion, garlic, mushrooms, peppers, and the zucchini flesh; saute 4-5 minutes until slightly tender. Then, add the olives, marinara sauce and cook another minute to heat up.

Step 4

Remove from the heat, cool a few minutes, add the meat to the sauce along with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella and mix well to combine. Check to see if it needs any additional salt and pepper.

Step 5

Zucchini ... Microwave 4 zucchini at a time on high temperature for 2 minutes. This lightly cook them and gives them a head start. Season the inside of your zucchini with salt and pepper; then stuff your zucchini as much as possible piling it up.

Step 6

Bake ... Add the zucchini to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil, covered, and bake 20-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven on the middle shelf until the zucchini are soft and tender. Remove the foil, top with the remaining cheese, and turn on the broiler. Add the pan to the second shelf down and broil until the cheese is melted and golden brown.