Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

During a recent visit to the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market I picked up some heirloom orange zucchini. It was our first visit but I will tell you it definitely won’t be our last! I loved the place but left a bit sad since it’s so far away and we don’t have anything comparable near us. But we went home with a couple bags full of fresh produce and homemade tortillas, yum!

Maybe I’m just oblivious or not too bright but I totally didn’t know zucchini came in anything other than green. So when I saw the heirloom orange zucchini, I snatched it up with pure excitement. And it was only 25 cents per zucchini so it was a total steal.

When I got home, I got to thinking of what to make and oh so conveniently, this recipe for Sausage Stuffed Zucchini popped up on my Facebook news feed. I have made several recipes from Skinny Taste with very pleasing results so I knew this would be a good one to try. And it turned out to be so easy.
Sausage Stuffed Zucchini
I halved the recipe since I was making it for lunch and Joel isn’t a zucchini fan so I didn’t want lots of leftovers. I had some leftover cooked ground sausage that I threw in the freezer a few weeks ago after making Sicilian Spaghetti so I simply thawed it and sauted it with the vegetables. I even made it up the night before so I could just throw it in the oven the next day. This was a great, healthy lunch that I enjoyed a lot. Maybe I can talk Joel into trying it. We shall see.

Sausage Stuffed Zucchini
recipe from Skinny Taste

1 1/4 pizza sauce or jarred spaghetti sauce
4 medium zucchini
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced (I left this out because I didn’t have it on hand)
14 oz. lean chicken sausage, removed from casing
1/2 cup part skim mozzarella, shredded
8 tsp. parmesan cheese, grated (I left this out)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and using a spoon or melon baller, scoop out flesh, leaving 1/4″ thick. Chop the scooped out flesh of the zucchini in small pieces and set aside.

3. Drop zucchini halves into boil water for 1 minute then remove.

4. Place 1/4 cup of sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 12″ baking dish, and place zucchini halves cut side up.

5. In a large saute pan, brown sausage, breaking up as it cooks into smaller pieces until browned; set aside. Heat oil and add onion, garlic and bell pepper. Cook on a medium-low heat for about 2-3 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add chopped zucchini, season with salt and pepper and cook about 2-3 minutes. Add chicken sausage and cook until browned, breaking up in smaller pieces with a wooden spoon until cooked through.

6. Using a spoon, fill each hollowed zucchini with 1/3 cup cooked sausage, pressing firmly. Top each with 2 tablespoons each of sauce, 1 tablespoon each of shredded mozzarella cheese and 1 teaspoon each of parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes until cheese is melted and zucchini is cooked through.
Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

One comment

  1. Hi Meg, Your Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are going on my to cook list, and that is a good thing!

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