Baked Stuffed Zucchini
Enjoy all the flavors of summer with my recipe for Baked Stuffed Zucchini. Fresh zucchini are split and filled with a mix of onion, tomato, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese, then baked until tender.
Last summer, we had a lovely zucchini plant in our little garden. One zucchini plant. One zucchini plant that darn near took over the whole garden.
Even though it was huge—gigantic would be more like it—that darned plant wasn’t producing anything. It had to have been 6 feet across and three feet high. It had loads of blooms on it, but every day, we’d find the blooms gone—just snapped right off at the top of the stem.
Hmmm… something wasn’t quite right. And the yellow squash that was nearly buried under the zucchini was suffering the same fate.
Well, we finally figured it out. The culprits were two fawns and a mama deer that visited our backyard every afternoon. They thoroughly enjoyed their dinner of zucchini and squash blossoms before taking a nice, long nap in the shade of a pine tree. We decided that was okay, and we could get any zucchini we wanted from the grocery store.
Ingredient List
This post contains affiliate links. Lana’s Cooking is reader-supported and earns a tiny commission at no extra cost to you when you shop from our links.
- Zucchini – Choose zucchini that are about 7 to 8 inches in length. Larger zucchini may have tougher seeds.
- Butter and Olive Oil – I always use a little oil in the pan with butter. Butter gives great flavor and the oil helps to keep the butter from burning.
- Green Onions – I like the flavor of green onions in this recipe. Substitute another type if you prefer.
- Roma Tomatoes – You can, of course, use any type of tomatoes that you like or have on hand. It’s just that I find Romas are the most consistent and readily available year-round.
- Salt and Pepper
- Bread Crumbs – Use the readily available, dry breadcrumbs from your grocery store or make your own by blitzing a couple of pieces of day-old bread in the food processor.
- Parmesan Cheese – No need for expensive, real Parm in this recipe. The boxed stuff will do just fine.
You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
Can I use other cheeses in this recipe?
Of course, you can try any other cheese that melts fairly well. Mozzarella cheese, Cheddar cheese, Colby, Swiss, and Fontina cheeses are all great possibilities.
Can I make stuffed zucchini ahead of time?
Stuffed zucchini is easily reheated in the oven or microwave, so yes, you can make it ahead of time.
Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
Swap out the traditional breadcrumbs for either crushed gluten-free crackers or purchased gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Can I add meat or protein to the stuffing?
Yes. Many stuffed zucchini recipes do include protein in the filling. Ground meats such as Italian sausage, ground beef, or ground turkey are good choices as well as diced, cooked bacon.
How do I know when the zucchini is fully cooked?
It’s done when it feels tender when pierced with a sharp knife, the stuffing is heated through, and the top is beautifully browned.
Questions? I’m happy to help!
If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Recipe
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox.
Baked Stuffed Zucchini
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 2 green onions chopped
- 2 Roma tomatoes
- salt and black pepper
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare a small baking dish with oil, butter, or cooking spray.
- Wash the zucchini well and cut it in half lengthwise. Microwave for 2-3 minutes. (This softens it slightly and makes it easier to remove the interior.)
- Remove from the microwave and cool briefly.
- Score ¼” in from the edge with a sharp knife. Using a spoon, scoop out the zucchini flesh with a spoon. Reserve the removed zucchini and zucchini shells for later.
- Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the green onions and cook for 2-3 minutes or until slightly softened.
- To the skillet with the sauteed onions, add the reserved zucchini, diced tomato, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese. Stir well to combine. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Fill the reserved zucchini shells with the mixture. Place in the prepared baking pan and sprinkle more parmesan cheese on top. Drizzle with additional olive oil.
- Bake at 350 for approximately 20 minutes or until tender.
Notes
- The zucchini is done when it feels tender when pierced with a sharp knife, the stuffing is heated through, and the top is beautifully browned.
- Store any leftovers in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or oven.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
How to Make Baked Stuffed Zucchini Boats – Step-by-Step Photos and Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare a small baking dish with oil, butter, or cooking spray.
- Wash the zucchini well and cut it in half lengthwise. Microwave for 2-3 minutes. (This softens it slightly and makes it easier to remove the interior.)
- Remove from the microwave and cool briefly.
- Score ¼” in from the edge with a sharp knife. Using a spoon, scoop out the interior of each zucchini half with a spoon. Reserve the removed zucchini and zucchini shells for later.
- Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the green onions and cook for 2-3 minutes or until slightly softened.
- To the skillet, add the reserved zucchini, diced tomato, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese. Stir well to combine. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Fill the reserved zucchini shells with the mixture. Place in the prepared baking pan and sprinkle more parmesan cheese on top. Drizzle with additional olive oil.
- Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes or until tender and golden brown.
— This post was originally published on August 26, 2009. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
I added this to my Friday Recipes post which featured zucchini, thanks! You can see it here ;) http://oldtips.blogspot.com/2009/08/friday-recipes-zucchini.html
I love zucchini. We call them courgettes in England. even I wouldnt be able to get mad at the fawn-so sweet lol! I love this recipe too, seems like a great, sneaky way of getting my 6 year old to eat some veg!
I could eat these, by themselves, for dinner! Yum. I am so impressed that you got photos of the deer! (I’m impressed that you HAVE deer…) How cute. I’d probably let them eat my zucchini too, just so I could see them on a daily basis!
Alta, I got the pictures looking out through the kitchen bay window. Those little deer are cute but they can be pests, too. Not only did they enjoy the squash blooms, they also ate their fill of tomatoes and tiny watermelons. Grrr….
I found you through Kay via Twitter. This sounds delish! What a wonderful way to use up zucchini:)
Thanks for stopping by! Isn’t Kay the best and her web site is extraordinary! Hope you’ll visit again.
Zucchini, with Eggplant, is one of my favourite vegetables and the stuffed version is always delicious. I just came back from Turkey where you can find stuffed vegetables everywhere and it’s a pure pleasure!
Yes, stuffed veggies are always a treat. Stuffed tomatoes, stuffed peppers, you name it and I like it!
Yum!! I love stuffed zucchini!! Plus, stuffing it with more veggies is really tasty!!
I really like this recipe. Zucchini is one of my favorite veges. Thanks for sharing!