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Turkey Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats - A delicious alternative to stuffed peppers, and a terrific way to enjoy those summer zucchini.
Are you growing a garden this year?
This is the first year, since we moved into the new house, that my garden is growing like crazy. If I don't check it for a couple of days I have tomatoes and zucchini coming out of my ears.
Well not really coming out of my ears, but you know what I mean.
So I did just that. With the rain we have been having, I knew I didn't need to make a trip to the garden everyday and got a bit lazy. I mean, who wants to go out in the rain right?
Ooops!
When I finally got out to check things over I had two HUGE squash staring me in the face.
Now I love zucchini, but these bad boys were big!
I thought about frying them in slices and making some kind of spicy dipping sauce but I just hated to take those big beauties and fry them.
Then I thought about the stuffed peppers I made and thought that the stuffing would work so well using the zucchini in place of the peppers.
I mean the stuffing already has grated zucchini in it so I knew the flavors would be awesome. Plus it was taking a nice fresh veggie and keeping it on the healthy side. My stuffing uses turkey sausage and low fat cheese.
When I ran the idea by the rest of my housemates everyone thought it sounded like a winner so that was enough for me, the decision was made. Then, with work schedules that didn't line up, the ingredients just sat in my refrigerator.
To be honest when I pulled them out last night was afraid that they wouldn't be usable anymore and I would be making a trip to the store.
But I wouldn't be able to replace those big beautiful zucchinis.
I crossed my fingers and pulled them out of the fridge.
Yesssss they were fine, just like I first got them, thank you Lord!!!
The finished recipe came out better than I ever could have expected, it really did!
The original recipe was enough stuffing for 4 to 6 bell peppers so if you have 4 to 6 large zucchinis it would be perfect.
Like I said, these came out so much better than I could have ever imagined. Kevin loves my stuffed peppers and he said he may just like these even more.
Wow now I am in competition with myself! I love it!!
Turkey Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Bobbi Burleson
A delicious alternative to stuffed peppers, and a terrific way to enjoy those summer zucchini.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup orzo (rice shaped pasta)
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 pound turkey Italian sausage
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- 4 large zucchinis
- 1 (28-ounce) can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 medium yellow squash, grated (can use 2 zucchini instead)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup low moisture mozzarella, grated
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
Equipment Used
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- Bring the 4 cups of chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the orzo and cook to package instructions.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, crumble and brown the turkey sausage until no pink remains, about 4 minutes. Add the onions and minced garlic to the cooked sausage. Saute until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the paprika, cayenne, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out the inside of each zucchini, leaving about 1/4 inch of flesh in each one. If zucchinis will not stand up use a knife to shave off a bit of the bottom to make it even. Set zucchinis into baking dish.
- Pour the tomatoes in a large bowl and break apart using your fingers or potato masher. Add the grated squash, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
- Use a fine mesh sieve to transfer the orzo to the large bowl with the vegetables, reserving the chicken stock. Stir to combine the orzo and veggies and pour the chicken stock into the baking dish with the zucchini boats.
- Add the orzo mixture to the cooked sausage.
- Spoon the mixture into the zucchinis. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Mix 1 cup mozzarella with the 1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves. Set aside.
- Remove the zucchini from the oven and sprinkle each zucchini boat with the cheese parsley mix. Return to oven and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and allow the zucchinis to cool about 5 minutes before serving.
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 0 hrs. 15 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 30 mins.
Total time: 45 mins.
Tags: zucchini, sausage, healthy eating, clean eating, main dish
Nutritional information via Calorie Count
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redkathy
I know about the nursing home routine. My dad was living with us and now in a nursing home. Very difficult situation. Best wishes to you and yours.
That said, Oh my gosh your zucchini boats look and sound fabulous!
Bobbi | Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
Thanks so much for the kind words of support and the wonderful compliment 🙂
Diane Balch
There is still plenty of great fresh zucchini around and I love that you used healthy turkey sausage. Please share this recipe on foodie friday. i think everyone will enjoy it.
Miz Helen
Great Stuffing for all the great Zucchini we have in the garden right now. This looks like a great recipe. Hope you are having a great weekend and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Bobbi | Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
Thanks so much 🙂 could you leave me a link for the party?
Bobbi | Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
Thank you Helen You have a wonderful weekend as well!!
Ames
I'm a fan of zucchini too but never heard of them cooked like this! How inventive - great for a dinner party :). Want to go our and buy me some zucchini to try it out :). Thanks for sharing !
minnie@thelady8home
Oh Bobbi.....what a recipe!!! Bookmarking it. It's sensational. Thanks so so much for linking it :))
Bobbi | Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
You are so welcome 🙂 I hope you give them a try they really are wonderful!!
Bobbi | Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
Thank you Minnie you are a doll <3
Unknown
Bobbi, these boats look amazing!!! I love zucchini prepared this way...so delicious! I'm so glad you shared them at Fit and Fab. 🙂
Bobbi | Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
Thanks so much Amee 🙂
Aggie
These look so delicious! Wishing they were my dinner tonight 🙂
Bobbi | Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
I hope you can give them a try soon 🙂
Alyssa@CleverNest
This looks good! I'm making it tonight, wish me luck 🙂
found you on Pinterest, thanks for this recipe! I write a DIY blog, I'd love it if you stopped by and said hi! 🙂
Alyssa
http://www.myclevernest.com
Bobbi | Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
I am so happy you found me! I hope you enjoy the recipe!!
MaryJKB
I was making this for dinner tonight when time got away from me after work. There was just no time to bake them as my husband gets up at 4 am so I make it a point to have dinner by 5 pm, at the latest. Since that gives me an hour to get home, prep and have dinner on the table...well, you get the idea.
So this was served as the stuffing fresh off the stove without the zucchini shell. The only other change I made is to use my own Italian sausage. I accidentally grabbed the hot instead of the sweet and used just a hint of cayenne. It was truly magnificent. The Turkey sausage was delicious and had just enough bite to make it fabulous. Thanks for a great addition to our menu. We both agreed that this would be a staple.
Bobbi | Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
I am sooooo glad you both like it! I have been known to shovel spoonfuls of the stuffing into my face while I stand at the stove LOL