Stuffed Zucchini Boats

“We should all be eating fruits and vegetables as if our lives depend on it – because they do.” -Michael Greger

Stuffed Zucchini Boats are fun & easy to make and, they are naturally low in carbs (and usually low cal depending on your choice of filler)! The variations of fillers are almost unlimited … for this recipe I will use meatballs. Consider other fillers such as taco meat & cheese, pulled pork & BBQ sauce, buffalo chicken & sauce, pepperoni pizza, cheesesteak & onions, garlicky shrimp & tomatoes, left-over meatloaf & tomato sauce, cajun boudin sausage … and the list goes on and on ….

Ingredients:
2 (or more) medium to large zucchinis
1 package of 1/2 oz. “bite size” frozen meatballs (I prefer Cooked Perfect Brand)
Marinara sauce, either commercial or homemade (I prefer Classico)
Italian style blend shredded cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 F.

For the boats: Begin by washing each zucchini and place them on a cutting board. Cut off about a half inch of the stem end and then slice the zucchini lengthwise down the middle keeping each half about the same thickness. Using a teaspoon, scoop out the pulp of the zucchini leaving 1/4″ thick shells. The pulp can be chopped and used in the filler or you can discard it. Place the zucchini boats on a greased baking dish or foil lined pan; following the instructions below, fill them with the filler of your choice and slide into the oven. Bake until tender, about 25 minutes … the zucchini should be soft, the cheese lightly browned and the sauce bubbly.

For the filler: In a small pan, heat the frozen meatballs in marinara sauce until they’re soft and hot. Spoon some of the marinara sauce into the bottom of each boat. Depending on the size of your boat, squeeze in as many meatballs as it will hold … usually four or five per boat. Top each meatball with a little more sauce and then sprinkle each boat with cheese.

One serving is two stuffed zucchini halves. Depending on the filler, a serving is typically about 300-350 calories.