I love zucchini season. They are so abundant and so fresh this time of the year. I always look for the pesticide free or organic signs at the Farmer’s markets. One year I would like to grow them myself. Do you have zucchini in your garden?
I’m often playing with what I’ll stuff inside the zucchini and bake them. I’ve stuffed it with Quinoa and Vegetables and with Pork and I’ve also shredded the zucchini and Fritters.
I also like to change up what shape I cut the zucchini into when I stuff them. Tonight I decided I wanted to cut them into rounds, hollow them out and then I thought I would make meatballs and bake them that way. Well I added a lot of goodness to the meat mixture and I decided to just stuff it in there instead of rolling the meatballs to perch on top. Maybe someday I’ll go back and try the meatball idea but I’m really glad these were just stuffed. Oh how good they looked standing on my plate with their white puff of smoke coming out of the chimneys and how amazing they tasted.
The meat mixture includes odds and ends ingredients I had in the refrigerator but if you don’t have exactly the same don’t sweat it. Make up your own meat mixture, stuff them, bake and enjoy. Another thing I really liked about this dish was it was a complete meal all in one dish. Easy to make and easy to clean up!
Stuffed Zucchini Chimneys Dairy and Gluten Free Recipe
Ingredients:
5 large organic zucchini, cut into 2 inch pieces and centers removed
3/4 cup of the zucchini centers
1 pound organic grass fed ground beef
2 spring onions, white bulbs and just a little of the green
5 cloves of pickled garlic from Majestic Garlic or 2 cloves of fresh garlic
1 Tb sweet pepper strips in brine
2 Tb mayonnaise
1 Tb basil pesto
1/2 cup Honeyville almond flour
grab of fresh parsley
1/2 Wedge of Daiya Jack Chesse cubed
1 can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
Instructions:
The easiest way to mix the filling is to use a food processor. If you don’t have one you will need to finely dice ingredients to mix into the meat.
To the food processor add the zucchini centers, onions, garlic, sweet peppers and parsley. Pulse it until it is finely ground. Add in the mayonaise and pesto and pulse again to combine. Next add in the almond flour and pulse again. Once all of this is well combined add in the meat and pulse again until it is one color. Don’t just turn it on and let it go or your meat will be a gooey mess.
In a 9×13 glass baking dish stand up your zucchini chimneys and add the stuffing.
Next add in the cheese cubes to the top of each zucchini chimney.
With a large spoon carefully add the tomatoes all around the zucchini.
Place into a 375 degree pre-heated oven and bake for 40 minutes or until you like the consistency of the zucchini. Some people like it still a little crisp and others like it really soft.
Notes:
If you want to keep this vegetarian and vegan use mushrooms instead of ground beef.
If you don’t have spring onions use whatever onions you have on hand.
If you don’t have sweet pepper strips you can use a few pickles or nothing at all.
If you don’t have any pesto on hand add in basil.
Use whatever dairy free or dairy cheese you like.
If you don’t have almond flour use your favorite bread crumbs.
If you don’t have a wedge of Daiya use shredded or your favorite option.
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yum! that looks so delicious! zucchini and quinoa – can't go wrong!
You don't have meat listed as ingredient up top but it shows up in the directions. How much do you use?
I'll blame that omission on the chemicals still in my house. Sorry about that. I used 1 pound ground beef. Thank you for letting me know I had missed adding that.
Hi Diane,
This dish is just lovely…and so super creative. I've never stuffed zucchini in that cut – how creative.
This recipe is making me drool!!!
Be Well,
–Amber
where's the meat in the recipe? How much??
Mary sorry about that. I used around 1 pound ground beef. You can always use whatever meats you like. Sometimes I like the chicken and pork combo too. Thanks for the great catch!
Oh, can't wait to try this. YESSS I have so much zucchini in my garden, that is why I am always looking for new recipes that use zucchini. I grew 8 plants this year. Way too much. I was giving it away. Next year, only two plants. My husband is tired of it. Search on google for Zippy Zucchini, that recipe is also awesome and also gluten free.
Zucchini is very easy to grow. Hope you'll try it next spring. Best part is that the blossoms are also edible. Hope to see some recipes for squash blossoms next spring.