It's been the perfect weather to get out in the gardens and see what's growing, picking weeds and spying out any pests. Typically peak vegetable season starts around now for the next few weeks. Pulling out those fresh veggies from a garden is so satisfying, isn't it?
What I've noticed is that people are so excited to use up their greens, tomatoes, and green beans, but one vegetable seems to sit around waiting for inspiration.
Zucchini.
I'm not sure why zucchini has a less than stellar excitement around it. It's my favorite vegetable to eat in the summer!
I feel like Bubba in the movie Forrest Gump...zucchini fritters, zucchini noodles, zucchini bread, zucchini muffins, grilled zucchini, fried zucchini, baked zucchini, zucchini pizza crust...
But, my absolute favorite way to eat zucchini is Stuffed Zucchini.
It's my mission to bring back the love for the humble and easy-to-grow zucchini.
So, without further ado, here is our Family Favorite Stuffed Zucchini recipe:
Ingredients:
1 large or 2 medium zucchini
1 cup uncooked rice or 2 cups cooked rice
1 pound ground beef
1 pint jar pasta sauce (about 1.5 cups)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste, divided
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook rice in a pot if raw.
Slice zucchini lengthwise in half. Slice off stem and flower if desired, but leave ends intact. Scoop out seeds with a spoon. This will leave you with two long zucchini boats. Place in a 13x9 pan. Sprinkle zucchini liberally with salt and pepper.
Brown ground beef in a skillet with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
When cooked through, add cooked rice and pasta sauce to pan. Warm through.
Scoop filling mixture into zucchini, mounding as needed.
Top with cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until a fork easily pierces the zucchini.
To serve, slice into wedges and enjoy!
Variations:
Greek: Substitute the pasta sauce for diced tomatoes, the Italian for Greek seasoning, and change the cheese to Feta.
Taco: Substitute the pasta sauce for mild salsa, the Italian for taco seasoning, and change the cheese to Cheddar.
I hope you enjoy this meal as much as our family does! Our kids cheer every time we find a large zucchini in the garden, and enthusiastically demand this meal every time.
Have you ever made stuffed zucchini? Comment below with your favorite variation.