Oven-Baked 4-Ingredient Beef Stuffed Zucchini
The Night I Put Ground Beef in Zucchini and Called It a Plan: Beef Stuffed Zucchini Boats is an easy one-dish dinner with tender zucchini, seasoned ground beef, marinara, and melted mozzarella. It is filling, simple, and perfect for a low-effort weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini washed well, about 6 to 8 inches long
- 1 pound ground beef 80–90% lean
- 1 1/2 cups jarred marinara or pasta sauce plus or minus a spoonful, as needed
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground, if desired
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning or dried oregano optional
- olive oil or cooking spray for greasing the baking dish
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray.
- Trim the stem ends from the zucchini, then slice each one lengthwise into two long halves.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and a little of the soft center flesh, making a channel down the middle of each half and leaving about 1/4 inch of zucchini around the sides and bottom.
- Arrange the hollowed zucchini halves cut side up snugly in the greased dish, shaving a tiny sliver from the rounded bottom of any zucchini half that will not sit flat.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, kosher salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning or oregano, if using, mixing only until the seasonings are worked in.
- With clean hands, pinch off portions of the raw seasoned beef and press them into the zucchini channels from end to end, mounding the beef just a little above the zucchini edges.
- Pour the marinara all around and between the stuffed zucchini, letting a little run over the tops if desired, then cover the dish tightly with foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until the zucchini is beginning to soften and the beef is mostly cooked through.
- Carefully remove the foil, sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the tops of the beef-filled zucchini, and return the dish to the oven uncovered.
- Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly golden and the thickest part of the beef reaches at least 160°F, then let the zucchini boats rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving with sauce spooned over each portion.
Notes
Cool leftovers and refrigerate within two hours. Store in a covered container for 3 to 4 days; the zucchini will soften more as it sits, but the flavor stays good. Reheat individual portions in the microwave until steaming hot, or warm them covered in the oven, adding a spoonful of marinara if the dish looks dry.
Nutrition
Calories: 397kcal
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