Try tasty stuffed zucchini boats filled with ground beef for a fun way to enjoy zucchini beyond endless loaves of zucchini bread. Stuffing zucchini with flavorful beef, rice, and tomatoes, topped with cheese. It tastes like pizza.
We love dinner recipes inspired by fresh garden produce, such as grilled stuffed bell peppers, freezer sweet cream-style corn, and cooking sweet corn in the Instant Pot. Nothing compares to using vegetables grown by your own two hands.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Great Way To Use Up Zucchini
- Quick and Easy Recipe
- Gluten Free, Low FODMAP, and easily Dairy Free if wanted.
Featured Ingredients
- Fresh Zucchini - Look for medium-sized zucchini. However, Mother Nature creates garden zucchini in all shapes and sizes, just like people!
- Ground Beef - Use lean ground beef.
- White Rice and Beef Broth - To make flavorful rice.
- Green Onions - Only the green onion tops if you are on a low FODMAP diet.
- Tomato Sauce - Canned tomato sauce works great.
- Fresh Tomatoes - Fresh from the garden or the Farmers Market! Grocery store tomatoes will work too!
- Garlic Infused Olive Oil - Adds additional flavor to the zucchini.
- Seasonings: Kosher Salt, Italian Seasoning
- Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese- Totally optional, but adds a creaminess to the dish.
- Fresh Basil - I picked it from the plant on my windowsill. Smells amazing.
See the recipe card for the exact measurements and complete instructions.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Before starting, cook the rice in beef broth according to the package directions.
Step 1: Cook the ground beef in a large skillet until no pink remains.
Step 2: While the beef cooks, dice the fresh tomatoes on a cutting board.
Step 3: Add the diced tomatoes to the cooked beef. Stir and let the tomatoes cook down a bit.
Step 4: Add the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and kosher salt to the skillet. Stir until combined. Turn the heat down and let it simmer.
Step 5: Slice the zucchini in half and use a spoon to scoop out the insides. Leave ¼ inch on the sides to hold the fillings.
Step 6: Place the hollowed-out zucchini halves on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Using a silicone brush, coat the insides and outsides of the zucchini with garlic infused olive oil.
Next, sprinkle each half with a bit of kosher salt.
Step 7: Stuff each zucchini with the ground beef filling. Use a spoon to make it as easy as possible.
Step 8: If using cheese, sprinkle a bit of shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese on the tops of each zucchini half.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until the zucchini is tender and the cheese is melted.
Tips
Leftover filling? If you have leftover filling but not enough zucchinis to fill, problem solved! Grease a small baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Add the filling and top it with cheese. Bake in a 350 degree F oven until heated through and the cheese is melted.
Ingredient Swaps
- Zucchini Options: Use yellow squash instead of zucchini for a fun color pop!
- Ground Meat Options: Use ground turkey or ground chicken for a lower-fat option. Homemade ground Italian sausage would be delicious too.
- Rice Options: Use rice made from chickpeas for a grain free and protein-filled option! Leftover cilantro lime rice would work too! Brown rice or cauliflower rice will work too.
- Tomato Options: Instead of sauce, use tomato paste for a more robust option. Or use leftover slow cooker pasta sauce. Instead of fresh tomatoes, use a 14.5 ounce canned diced tomatoes, drained.
Special Diet Variations
Vegetarian Zucchini Boats - Omit the ground beef and use vegetable broth to cook the rice. Use chopped mushrooms or soy beef crumbles.
Dairy Free Zucchini Boats - Leave the cheese off the tops or use a plant-based cheese.
Low FODMAP Zucchini Boats - Use a low FODMAP beef broth to cook the rice. Only use green onion tops. Ingredient guidance is based on testing results from Monash University Food App.
Storing and Reheating
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Reheat: Heat in a 350 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes for best results. Otherwise, a microwave will also reheat it. However, it may be a bit soggy, but still delicious.
Freeze: I do not recommend freezing the zucchini because they turn to mush from the freezing and thawing process.
FAQs
Meal prep the filling in advance and store it in the fridge to simplify the process.
Yes! The skin will be tender from roasting in the oven. However, if you don't want to eat the skin, scrape the insides with the filling out if you want.
What To Serve With Zucchini Boats
A great side dish option for zucchini boats would be oven roasted baby potatoes with garlic oil. Pair it with a fresh green lettuce salad with homemade Italian dressing. It would also be great with a fresh Greek rice salad or a gluten free pasta salad.
Loveable Ground Beef Recipes
Love This Recipe?
Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating + comment. It helps so much, and we love hearing from everyone! Thank You -Venessa
Recipe
Zucchini Boats With Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked rice long-grain rice cooked in beef broth
- 1 pound ground beef lean
- 8 ounces tomato sauce canned (Note 1)
- 2 medium-sized fresh tomatoes (Note 2)
- ½ cup green onions chopped
- 3 medium-sized fresh zucchini (Note 3)
- 1 tablespoon garlic infused olive oil (Note 4)
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt divided
- 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- ½ cup parmesan cheese shaved
- fresh basil or parsley optional topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook the long-grain white rice in beef broth according to the package instructions.
- In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook the ground beef until no pink remains.
- While the beef cooks, dice the fresh tomatoes and chop the green onions.
- To the skillet, add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chopped green onions, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and Italian seasoning. Stir and simmer over low heat.
- Wash and cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. With a small spoon, scoop out the insides, leaving at least ¼ inch to maintain the structure.
- Place the zucchini halves on a baking sheet. Use a piece of parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Brush the zucchini halves with garlic oil, and sprinkle ½ teaspoon kosher salt over the zucchini halves.
- Fill each one with the beef and rice mixture. Pile it on as high as you can.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese over the stuffing.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 40-45 minutes or until the zucchini is tender and the cheese is golden brown.
Venessa Mandelkow says
Such a great way to use up all the zucchini's from my garden. We love this easy recipe!