Enjoy this baked stuffed zucchini filled with savory sausage, tomatoes and Panko breadcrumbs. It’s the perfect way to enjoy a meal at your summer dinner table.
Fresh zucchini is the best way to enjoy summer.
We love to use it in so many easy zucchini recipes.
We eat it in burgers, sneak it into chocolate muffins and stack zucchini between tomatoes and mozzarella.
So why not stuff it with a mixture of spicy and mild sausage, top it with juicy sweet tomatoes and sprinkle Panko breadcrumbs on top.
It’s a complete meal and these easy stuffed zucchini boats are a delicious recipe that can be on the table in under an hour.
Is zucchini healthy?
Yes it is!
Zucchini has zero fat, is low calorie, high in fiber, low in carbs and is loaded with nutrients.
Did I mention that it’s so good for you!
Grab this delicious vegetable at local farmers markets or grow it in your own garden.
We enjoy an abundance of zucchini all summer long thanks to our neighbor who grows it in his garden.
Learn how to make baked stuffed zucchini
This dish features four medium-large zucchini, a meat mixture, panko crumbs and plenty of cheese.
I scoop out the insides of the zucchini in a small bowl saving the zucchini pulp. Next I place each zucchini half in a baking dish.
I sauté the chorizo and sausage in a large skillet at medium-high heat with fresh garlic and onion and stuff the zucchini shells with the meat filling.
Next, I top the zucchini halves with vine ripened tomatoes before sprinkling Panko breadcrumbs and mozzarella cheese on top.
The dish will bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F until golden brown. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve.
Baked stuffed zucchini variations
Fresh delicious zucchini can be prepared any way. Try these creative ideas!
Asian. Make the filling from my Copycat Lettuce Wraps and spoon it into the zucchini before baking.
Mediterranean. Stuff the zucchini with couscous and Italian turkey sausage using the recipe from my Stuffed Peppers.
Mexican. Make my Chicken and Chorizo Rice Skillet and scoop saffron-flavored spoonfuls into each boat.
Vegetarian. Skip the meat. Instead, sauté your favorite vegetables including mushrooms, corn, squash, tomatoes and stuff the vegetable mixture into the zucchini boats before topping with breadcrumbs and cheeses.
While zucchini is my favorite way to make this dish, other options are just as easy to substitute. Try one of these delicious vegetables.
Peppers. Sweet bell peppers in green, yellow, orange or red are delicious stuffed. I prefer the sweeter peppers paired with spicy sausage.
Eggplant. This veggie comes in a variety of sizes and colors from deep purple to white. Eggplant is meaty to begin with and so tasty stuffed with sausage and baked.
Summer Squash. The yellow variety is the easiest to find at the grocery store. I like to make zucchini and squash boats for a pretty presentation when I am serving this dish to guests.
Love using summer vegetables picked fresh from the garden? Try these recipes!
- Grilled Eggplant with a Tomato Caprese
- Tomatoes Caprese Salad
- Summer Corn Salad – Healthy and Easy to Make
- Southern Fried Green Tomatoes
- Grilled Zucchini with Feta & Pine Nuts
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Easy Baked Stuffed Zucchini Boats Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini
- 8 ounces sweet Italian sausage
- 8 ounces chorizo sausage
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Slice the zucchini lengthwise, hollow out the flesh and place the zucchini in a 13 x 9“ casserole pan. Chop the zucchini flesh and reserve in a small mixing bowl.
- Sauté the chorizo and sweet Italian sausage over medium heat until cooked through. Add the garlic, onion and reserved chopped zucchini. Cook for about three minutes.
- Toss in the chopped tomatoes and season with salt and a teaspoon pepper to taste. Cook an additional minute.
- Spoon the sausage mixture into the zucchini boats. Sprinkle the Panko breadcrumbs, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the tops of the zucchini boats.
- Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove the casserole pan from the oven and sprinkle the fresh chopped basil on top before serving.
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Oh great timing with all this fresh zucchini around! Loving the stuffing inside!
Thanks Lisa…this recipe is pretty versatile and you can stuff it with your favorite ingredients. Enjoy!
These are like grown up zucchini boats. Seriously delicious looking!
Indeed they are although my kids love this recipe. I suppose it’s all the goodness packed inside.
Absolutely gorgeous recipe and a must-have for the summer season and ALL that zucchini! Thanks for sharing this!
Thanks Traci. I love zucchini and squash in the summer. It’s the perfect summer dinner.
A great use for all the zucchini coming out of my garden right now! Thanks for sharing
Yup…and it serves a crowd. It’s always better from the garden too. Thanks 🙂
I literally have half a ton of zucchini in the garden right now and this is my new favorite way to prepare them! I can’t wait to make them again!
I am loving this recipe for light summer meals. It’s so good! Thanks Beth.
I made this with a little variation I used ground lamb, fresh oregano & fresh tomatoes. No cheese HUGE HIT I know some people dont care for lamb you can even add rice to it which helps if you want a healthy alternative. This recipe came at perfect time with bountiful harvest.