Stuffed zucchini with minced meat baked in. Spring protection of garden plants from pests and diseases. Baked zucchini stuffed with meat

Zucchini is an excellent product from which you can prepare many tasty and healthy dishes. Recipes for preparing this vegetable stuffed and baked in the oven deserve special attention. Every housewife should remember a few of them.

How to cook stuffed zucchini

There are several different processing methods. Stuffed zucchini is easy to prepare. First of all, you need to prepare them: rinse them well and remove the stalks. Next, the zucchini is cut into circles, cylinders or lengthwise. The core with seeds is removed, and the resulting space is filled with minced meat, mushrooms, cereals or other products. Then the dish is placed on a baking sheet and baked in the oven for the time specified in the recipe.

Stuffed zucchini in the oven - recipe with photo

There are a lot of food options. The main difference between them all is the form of cutting the vegetable and the filling. You can choose a recipe for stuffed zucchini with meat, cheese, dairy products, cereals, and mushrooms. They are often filled with other vegetables: tomatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage, celery, beans. Zucchini can be replaced with zucchini in any recipe. They are prepared either simply on a baking sheet or in a mold, pouring them with sauces.

With minced meat

This very original dish can be safely prepared for a festive table, because it looks simply excellent. easy to do. All processes - from preparing food to serving the dish to the table - will take no more than an hour. The recipe for stuffed zucchini with minced meat in the oven involves the use of minced meat - pork and beef.

Ingredients:

• zucchini – 3 large;
• mayonnaise – 1.5 tbsp. l.;
• vegetable oil;
• onion – 1 large;
• black pepper, salt;
• minced pork and beef – 1 kg;
• greenery;
• ketchup – 3 tbsp. l.;
• garlic – 3 cloves;
• sour cream - 4.5 tbsp. l.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the vegetables. Cut into cylinders, approximately five centimeters high. Remove the core from each so that the bottom remains. You will get cups.
2. Grind the onion and zucchini pulp.
3. Fry the minced meat in a frying pan. It should turn golden.
4. Fry the onion, after a couple of minutes add the zucchini pulp, salt and pepper.
5. Mix fried minced meat with vegetables and chopped herbs. Add 2 tbsp. l. ketchup and 3 tbsp. l. sour cream, crushed garlic. Salt and pepper.
6. Fill the zucchini cups with minced meat.
7. Grease a baking sheet with oil. Place the stuffed barrels.
8. Mix mayonnaise with the remaining ketchup and sour cream. Place a teaspoon of sauce on each glass.
9. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Bake the dish there for half an hour.

With cheese

Using the following recipe, you will get food that you can eat without worrying about extra pounds. This snack is very original. with cheese, extremely simple. Nuts and onions and carrots browned in a frying pan are added to the minced meat. Once you cook this dish, you will start making it regularly.

Ingredients:

• zucchini – 6 pcs.;
• spices, salt;
• onion – 1 large;
• vegetable oil – 100 ml;
• carrots – 3 pcs.;
• eggs – 2 pcs.;
• crushed walnuts – 1 cup;
• tomato paste – 3 tbsp. l.;
• feta cheese – 150 g.

Cooking method:

1. Boil the squash fruits for five minutes in boiling water.
2. Chop the onion and carrots and fry in vegetable oil.
3. Cut a thin longitudinal slice from each boiled vegetable and scrape out the pulp. Chop the latter and place in a frying pan with the onions and carrots. Mix all this with tomato paste. Fry until soft.
4. Cut the cheese into cubes, mix it with nuts, beaten eggs, fried vegetables, salt and season.
5. Stuff the zucchini boats and bake in an oven preheated to 200 degrees. It will take half an hour.

With meat

The next dish turns out to be very unusual. Zucchini stuffed with meat in the oven are cooked in a special breading, which has a positive effect on their appearance. The photo shows how beautiful they come out. The filling is not minced meat, but pieces of chicken fillet, pre-stewed. The vegetable is boiled briefly before baking.

Ingredients:

• zucchini – 2 large;
• ground nutmeg – 0.5 tsp;
• chicken fillet – 0.5 kg;
• salt pepper;
• lemon juice – 4 tbsp. l.;
• breadcrumbs;
• water – 0.4 l;
• sour cream – 2 tbsp. l.;
• tomatoes – 2 pcs.;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• eggs – 2 pcs.

Cooking method:

1. Cut the fillet into small pieces. Place in a saucepan, add water, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Simmer covered for about half an hour.
2. Mix the finished meat with diced tomatoes. Add raw eggs, crushed garlic, salt and pepper.
3. Remove the pulp from the zucchini. Boil them until soft. Fill, coat with sour cream, roll in breadcrumbs. Place on a baking sheet, cover with foil.
4. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Bake the dish for 20-25 minutes.

With rice and meat

A delicious dish prepared according to the following recipe will fit perfectly into the holiday table menu. Zucchini stuffed with meat and rice is very easy to make. They turn out satisfying and nutritious. Minced meat and rice go perfectly with tender baked squash pulp. The excellent taste is emphasized by seasoning consisting of dry herbs.

Ingredients:

• minced meat – 450 g;
• round rice – 125 g;
• mixture of dried cumin, dill, coriander, garlic, turmeric, celery, curry - 1 tbsp. l.;
• large zucchini – 2 pcs.;
• salt pepper;
• eggs – 2 pcs.;
• vegetable oil

Cooking method:

1. Cook the rice in salted water until half cooked.
2. Cut the main ingredient into cylinders 4-5 cm high. Carefully remove the cores from each. Grind the extracted pulp in a blender. Mix with minced meat. Add egg, spices, salt, pepper.
3. Grease a baking tray with oil and place the stuffed vegetables on it.
4. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Bake the dish there for 40 minutes.

With vegetables

Another variation of the dish that should appeal to all followers of dietary nutrition. Zucchini stuffed with vegetables is low in calories. You can adjust the recipe yourself. Any vegetables are suitable for the filling, in addition to those indicated in the composition: eggplant, white cabbage, broccoli. The dish is served with sour cream filling and a cheese crust, but you can omit these components if you want to make it lighter.

Ingredients:

• zucchini – 2 pcs.;
• cheese – 50 g;
• tomato – 1 small;
• carrots – 1 medium-sized;
• sour cream – 1.5 tbsp. l.;
• cauliflower – 75 g;
• salt, pepper, spices;
• bell pepper – 1 pc.;
• greenery;
• onion – 1 small;
• garlic – 1 clove;
• vegetable oil – 1 tbsp. l.

Cooking method:

1. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and remove the core. If they are not too young, first boil them in salted water for a couple of minutes.
2. Cut carrots, onions, bell peppers and tomatoes into cubes.
3. Divide the cabbage into florets. You can boil it for a short time, and if it is young, then just simmer it in a frying pan.
4. Grind the zucchini pulp.
5. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan. Fry onions, carrots, cabbage and peppers in it, mixing with crushed garlic. After five minutes, add tomatoes and zucchini pulp. Add salt and season. Simmer until the liquid has completely evaporated.
6. Fill the boats with the filling and place them in a mold greased with vegetable oil. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Bake the boats in it for half an hour.
7. 7 minutes before turning off, pour sour cream over them and sprinkle with grated cheese.

In circles

A very tasty dish that is prepared simply and quickly. Stuffed with circles go perfectly with any side dishes. You can serve them with rice, buckwheat porridge, mashed potatoes, and pasta. If you want a light dinner, then complement the dish with a salad of fresh vegetables seasoned with olive oil. Vegetables with minced meat in this version will definitely suit your taste.

Ingredients:

• zucchini – 4 pcs.;
• eggs – 2 pcs.;
• minced meat – 0.3 kg;
• cheese – 100 g;
• garlic – 4 cloves;
• large tomatoes – 4 pcs.;
• onion – 2 small;
• salt pepper;
• mayonnaise – 150-180 ml;
• vegetable oil.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the fruits, cut them into circles, the thickness of which will be one and a half to two centimeters. Scoop out the core to make rings, place them on a baking sheet greased with vegetable oil.
2. Grind the squash pulp, onion and garlic in a meat grinder, mix with minced meat and eggs, add salt and pepper.
3. Distribute the filling among the rings and brush with mayonnaise. Place tomato slices on top and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake in an oven preheated to 220 degrees. The dish will be ready after 40 minutes.

With mushrooms

As a filling for a vegetable, you can use not only meat, but also champignons, honey mushrooms, chanterelles, and milk mushrooms. Zucchini stuffed with mushrooms turns out tasty and satisfying. As for the gifts of the forest, you can take any variety. Both fresh and frozen mushrooms are placed in the dish, and there are also several recipes with pickled ones. Whatever you choose, it will turn out very tasty.

Ingredients:

• zucchini – 2 pcs.;
• mayonnaise – 100 ml;
• champignons – 1 kg;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• cheese – 200 g;
• tomatoes – 2 pcs.

Cooking method:

1. Cut the zucchini into 4-5 cm thick pieces before cooking. Scrape out the middle, leaving a half-centimeter bottom.
2. Chop the mushrooms and fry with chopped onions. Stuff the vegetables with them, but not to the very edge.
3. Cut the tomatoes into cubes and place the mushrooms on top. Sprinkle with chopped herbs.
4. Mix mayonnaise with grated cheese and crushed garlic. Grease the dish with this sauce and place in the oven preheated to 180 degrees. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Boats with minced meat

This is a dish that is more suitable for a holiday table. Zucchini boats stuffed with minced meat and baked in the oven look like a work of culinary art. They taste simply amazing. Be sure to try making this delicacy and you will see for yourself. If you are not sure that the vegetable will be ready, cut it in half, scoop out the middle and bake it bottom up without filling, and then stuff it.

Ingredients:

• zucchini – 4 pcs.;
• minced meat – 550 g;
• vegetable oil;
• tomatoes – 2 small;
• salt pepper;
• canned corn - 4 tbsp. l.;
• hops-suneli – 0.5 tsp;
• hard cheese – 120-130 g;
• onion – 1 large;
• mayonnaise – 130 ml.

Cooking method:

1. Chop the onion and fry until transparent. Add minced meat. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Add salt, pepper, suneli hops.
2. Cut the tomato into cubes and mix with corn.
3. Wash the zucchini. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the pulp. Fill with a mixture of vegetables and minced meat.
4. Mix grated cheese with mayonnaise. Brush each portion of the dish with this sauce and place them on a greased baking sheet. Cook for half an hour in an oven preheated to 180 degrees.

With vegetables and rice

A wonderful dish for vegetarians. Zucchini with rice and vegetables is a healthy and satisfying delicacy. For cooking, it is advisable to choose a variety that produces round-shaped fruits, so the dish will look even more beautiful. If you have ordinary oblong vegetables, then this is also not a problem. The shape will in no way detract from the taste of this delicious snack.

Ingredients:

• round zucchini – 10 pcs.;
• greenery;
• carrots – 1 large;
• salt;
• onion – 2 medium;
• olive oil;
• red bell pepper – 1 pc.;
• hard cheese – 200 g;
• rice - two thirds of a glass.

Cooking method:

1. Cut off the stalks and some of the pulp from round fruits to form lids. Scoop out the pulp. Pour boiling water over the resulting baskets and cook for 10 minutes. Water should be both outside and inside.
2. Cook the rice until almost done.
3. Chop onions and carrots. Cut the pepper. Fry the onion until soft. Add the carrots to the pan, and after 5 minutes the bell peppers. Add salt and simmer until done.
4. Mix rice and vegetables with grated cheese. Stuff the baskets with this, but do not press down.
5. cook in the oven for half an hour. Preheat it to 200 degrees.

With mushrooms and rice

A wonderful hearty dish that will suit both the everyday table and the festive one. Zucchini stuffed with mushrooms and rice looks very cute in the photo and immediately whets your appetite. They are easy to prepare. You can use any mushrooms for the recipe, but only after you make sure that they are edible. If you don’t want to experiment, then take fresh champignons; they go well with both rice and vegetables.

Ingredients:

• zucchini – 0.5 kg;
• salt pepper;
• champignons – 0.2 kg;
• vegetable oil – 25 ml;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• rice – 50 g;
• cheese – 50 g;
• carrots – 1 small;
• tomato – 1 large.

Cooking method:

1. Before preparing the dish, chop and fry the mushrooms in vegetable oil, add chopped onions and grated carrots to the frying pan. Add some salt.
2. Cook the rice. Mix it with mushrooms.
3. Cut the zucchini into slices 3-4 cm thick. Remove the core. Place them on a baking sheet greased with vegetable oil. Stuff with mushrooms and rice. Sprinkle each circle with grated cheese and place a tomato ring on top.
4. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Bake the dish for 40 minutes.

1. If the minced zucchini in the oven is brought to full or partial readiness, then the vegetables themselves must first be slightly fried or boiled, and only then stuffed and continued baking.
2. It is better to take young fruits that do not need to be peeled.
3. Salt the minced meat, not the fruits, because the latter will release too much juice.
4. Boiled vegetables will hold their shape better after baking.

Video

Coming to us from Mexico, zucchini is a tasty, versatile and healthy product that can be prepared in a variety of ways: grilled, stewed, added to soups and vegetable stews, fried in batter, made into pancakes by chopping in a meat grinder. Some cooks add raw zucchini to salads or cook it in a marinade. These wonderful vegetables can be served as a hearty side dish, as an original holiday appetizer or as a main course on weekdays. But recipes for stuffed zucchini deserve special attention.

The key to successful preparation of a dish is the correct choice of ingredients. For stuffing, it is better to choose thin-skinned zucchini so that you don’t have to spend extra effort on cleaning, and the vegetables don’t lose their density. The fruits should be ripe, not very large, the optimal size is approximately 8 cm in diameter and about 12-15 cm long. Summer is the time when you can find young zucchini in the markets, which is better to choose. These fruits have delicate pulp that can delicately highlight the taste of the filling. Baked zucchini with minced meat in the oven can be made in various forms.

How to deliciously bake zucchini with minced meat in the oven

The main advantage of zucchini as a stuffing material is its neutral aroma, which will harmonize perfectly with any type of meat. You can use not only traditional combinations of chicken, beef, pork, but also lamb, turkey or minced fish. It is important to carefully remove the seeds from the fruit before filling; they can disrupt the desired texture of the filling. If you want the squash pulp and minced meat to bake evenly, keep the baking sheet covered with foil for half the cooking time.

Zucchini “barrels” with minced pork and beef and rice

Barrels are one of the simplest forms of stuffing zucchini. This is a popular Mediterranean recipe that will pleasantly surprise you and your loved ones. To prepare stuffed “barrels” you need the following ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini;
• approximately 300 grams of minced pork and beef in a 50/50 ratio;
• 2 carrots;
• 2 onions;
• half a glass of steamed rice;
• 2 tbsp. l. mayonnaise;
• 2 tbsp. l. ketchup or tomato paste;
• 2 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
• spices, herbs to taste;
• boiled or filtered water

Preparation:

1. Boil the rice until half cooked.
2. Chop onions and carrots and fry in vegetable oil.
3. Mix rice, sauteed vegetables, minced meat.
4. We cut the zucchini into small pieces, resembling pots or barrels, and remove the seeds.
5. We fill the barrels with minced meat and place them in a baking dish.
6. Prepare the sauce: mix tomato paste, mayonnaise, add water, herbs, spices.
7. Fill the zucchini with the prepared sauce about halfway.
8. Preheat the oven to about 180 degrees.
9. Bake the dish for 40 minutes.
10. Before serving, it is recommended to decorate the barrels with fresh herbs, grated cheese, and season with chopped nutmeg.

Tip: Adding a beaten egg to the keg sauce will add richness to the dish and improve the consistency of the filling.

Boats stuffed with minced meat and baked with cheese in the oven

Stuffed zucchini boats have a spectacular appearance, thanks to which they can become a decoration for the holiday table. To prepare them, get the following ingredients:

• 5-6 pcs. small zucchini;
• 600 grams of minced meat;
• 1 large carrot;
• 1 onion (it is advisable to take a large onion);
• 200 grams of hard cheese;
• 3-4 tomatoes;
• a glass of boiled rice;
• a tablespoon of mayonnaise, ketchup (or tomato paste);
• vegetable oil.

Preparation:

1. Fry the onion in oil.
2. When it becomes translucent, add finely chopped carrots.
3. Add fried vegetables, spices and rice to the minced meat and mix well.
4. Cut the zucchini in half and remove the skin and core.
5. Sprinkle the boats with salt, fill with minced meat, and cover with chopped tomato rings on top.
6. Mix mayonnaise and tomato paste, coat the boats with the mixture.
7. Place the dish in a well-heated oven for 20 minutes, then sprinkle with grated cheese and leave to bake until done.
8. Before serving, you can fan out the boats and sprinkle with herbs.

Sliced ​​with minced chicken and tomatoes

A simple, healthy recipe - zucchini with minced chicken and tomatoes. Cooking does not require any special culinary skills from you, and the dish itself has a pleasant, refined taste. For preparation you will need:

• 1 long zucchini of small thickness;
• about 5 medium tomatoes;
• 150 grams of cheese;
• 500 grams of minced chicken;
• 1 onion;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• mayonnaise;
• greenery;
• spices to taste.

Preparation:

1. Wash the zucchini thoroughly and cut into slices.
2. Sprinkle them with a little salt and place on a baking sheet lined with foil.
3. Add onion and spices to the minced meat and beat well.
4. Form cutlets of a suitable size and place on the zucchini.
5. Wash the tomatoes, cut into medium-thick slices, and place on the zucchini.
6. Prepare a mixture of mayonnaise, grated cheese and chopped garlic in a blender.
7. Spread the zucchini with the dressing and thread each onto a toothpick.
8. Bake at 200 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Baked or fried potatoes, boiled rice, mashed potatoes or spaghetti are perfect as a side dish for this dish. It is recommended to sprinkle the finished zucchini with finely chopped dill and parsley; stalk celery harmonizes well with the dish. To give the minced meat a spicy taste, some chefs add chopped and fried roots to it during the cooking stage.

Recipe with minced meat and vegetables

Zucchini stuffed with vegetables and chopped chicken will delight gourmets who strictly watch their figure. The dish is light and will not cause digestive problems. To use this low calorie recipe, take:

• 1 large zucchini;
• 1 chicken breast;
• 1 tomato;
• half of 1 bell pepper, onion, eggplant;
• 200 grams of champignons;
• butter;
• curry;
• salt;
• greenery.

Preparation:

1. Cut the zucchini lengthwise and remove the seeds.
2. Finely chop the chicken fillet.
3. Fry the chicken pieces in a frying pan until they acquire a golden color.
4. Do the same with onions and carrots. Then add finely chopped champignons, eggplants and peppers.
5. Place fried chopped chicken into the prepared halves, then the stewed vegetable mixture.
6. Add a small piece of butter, curry, and salt to each half.
7. Wrap the “boats” in foil and bake in a hot oven for 30-40 minutes.
8. The dish is served both hot and cold, after garnishing it with sprigs of basil, which will perfectly highlight the taste of the chicken.

Diet recipe for baking with cottage cheese in foil

Another original recipe for those who are concerned about the calorie content of the foods they eat is zucchini stuffed with cottage cheese. The dish has a pleasant, refined taste and will not cause remorse for consuming extra calories. For preparation you will need:

• 1 large young zucchini;
• 50 grams of cheese or feta cheese;
• 1 clove of garlic;
• 200 grams of cottage cheese;
• a small bunch of dill, parsley, celery;
• 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
• spices to taste.

Preparation:

1. Wash the zucchini, cut off the side about a centimeter thick.
2. Carefully scrape out the pulp of the vegetable with a tablespoon.
3. Wash the greens, dry thoroughly, chop finely.
4. Peel the garlic, chop finely.
5. Grate the cheese on a fine grater.
6. Prepare a mixture of cottage cheese, cheese, herbs, spices and garlic.
7. Stuff the zucchini with the resulting mixture, cover with the cut side, securing everything with toothpicks.
8. Wrap the whole thing in foil and bake for 40 minutes at 190 degrees.

Stuffed with meat, mushrooms and onions

The combination of minced meat and mushrooms is a win-win. By stuffing zucchini with these products, you will get a hearty, tasty dish that is quite suitable not only for an everyday menu, but also for a special occasion. To prepare it use:

• 2 small or 1 large zucchini;
• 4 medium or 2 large tomatoes;
• 2 small onions;
• 200 grams of champignons;
• cream;
• salt, pepper, other spices to taste;
• greenery.

Preparation:

1. Cut the zucchini into rings approximately 7 - 10 cm high, carefully remove the seeds to accommodate more filling.
2. Boil the resulting zucchini rings in pre-salted water for 5-10 minutes.
3. Grease the baking dish and place the pieces.

Preparing the filling:

1. To prepare minced meat, grind the mushrooms in a blender or meat grinder and fry them in butter.
2. Finely chopped onions can also be fried.
3. Mix minced meat, onions, mushrooms. Let the mixture sit.
4. Place a tomato slice on the bottom of each zucchini ring and minced meat on top.
5. Pour cream over the filling and cover with tomatoes again. Place a small piece of butter on top of each piece.
6. Place in the oven, remove after 20 minutes, sprinkle with grated cheese, and send back.
7. Total baking time is 40 minutes.

Video

After watching the step-by-step video instructions for preparing stuffed zucchini below, you will see that preparing them is easy and fun. These are simple and original recipes that are accessible even to a novice cook. The set of ingredients for each dish is accessible and economical. Video master classes will help you create a small gastronomic masterpiece from zucchini and please yourself, your loved ones or unexpected guests.

A simple recipe with herbs and spices in the oven

Delicious zucchini with minced meat

Zucchini rolls with chicken fillet in sour cream sauce

I prepare this dish during the zucchini season, when you can choose the right size zucchini and they are quite young and juicy, with tender skin. This is necessary so that the zucchini stuffed with minced meat is well baked in the oven and turns out juicy and soft on the inside and slightly fried on the outside. If you have no choice, then we will cook from what we have, just cut off the peel from the zucchini and remove the seeds.

I cook stuffed zucchini according to the classic version - only with minced meat, onions and carrots, you can add mushrooms and bell peppers - if desired. I prefer to use minced pork and beef, it is juicier; it is better to grind the minced meat twice in a meat grinder to obtain minced meat with a fine texture.

So, to prepare oven-baked zucchini stuffed with minced meat, let’s prepare all the ingredients.

We select zucchini of the same size, so it will be more convenient to place them later in a baking dish. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and remove the pulp along with the seeds with a spoon, leaving a very thin wall. We cut off a little peel from the back side to give stability to the boat.

If the zucchini is young and the seeds are still soft, then the pulp can be used for minced meat. Chop the zucchini pulp very finely. Three carrots on a medium grater, cut the onion into cubes.

Pour vegetable oil into the frying pan and add vegetables. Fry vegetables until soft. Then add the minced meat, salt and pepper it, you can add a little dried garlic at this stage to your taste. Fry the contents of the frying pan until the minced meat turns gray, that is, it is all fried. To do this, you should constantly stir the minced meat with vegetables and break up any lumps of minced meat.

Place the zucchini boats in a baking dish and fill the indentations with the resulting minced meat.

Top with cherry tomatoes cut in half and pieces of melted cheese.

Pepper well with a mixture of peppers, sprinkle with olive oil and lay out sprigs of fresh thyme. Place the form with zucchini in the oven for 30-35 minutes.

Oven-baked zucchini stuffed with minced meat, served in portions. One zucchini made from two halves is enough for a serving.

You can serve zucchini stuffed with minced meat both as a hot appetizer and as a side dish for the main course. Bon appetit!

Stuffed zucchini baked in the oven is tasty, healthy and practical. Both regular zucchini and zucchini are perfect for this dish. They can be stuffed with cheese, mushrooms, and various vegetable fillings, but in this recipe I want to tell you how to cook zucchini stuffed with minced meat. These zucchini turn out very juicy and tender.

Ingredients:

(4 servings)

• 1 kg. young zucchini or zucchini
• 500 gr. minced meat
• 1 onion
• 50 gr. rice
• 100 gr. grated cheese
• freshly ground black pepper
• vegetable oil
• mayonnaise
• greenery

• We choose young zucchini with delicate skin. Wash, then cut each zucchini lengthwise into two halves.
• To get a recess into which we will later put the filling, we cut the core along the perimeter of the zucchini with a sharp knife. This is necessary to get a smooth, beautiful edge of our squash boat.

• Using a regular teaspoon, scoop out the zucchini pulp. The pulp gives in very easily, and if the groove is not deep enough, you can widen it by gently scraping it with the same spoon. We don’t throw away the pulp; you can make a very tasty puree soup from it.

• As a result of this simple procedure we get these cute boats.

• Before stuffing zucchini, they must be boiled. If this is not done, then when we bake the zucchini in the oven, the meat filling will cook quickly, but the zucchini will remain hard. If you don’t want the zucchini to be rubbery, be sure to boil it.
• So, take a wide saucepan, pour water, add salt and put it on the fire. When the water boils, put the vegetable preparations there. Cook for 8-10 minutes, then carefully, so as not to break the soft zucchini, remove them. If all the halves do not fit into the pan, then cook in two stages.


Meat filling for stuffed zucchini

• The filling for zucchini can be prepared from either raw minced meat or fried minced meat. I prefer fresh minced meat: chicken or a mixture of pork and beef.

• Let the rice cook in a large volume of salted water. There is no need to cook the rice until completely cooked; it will cook perfectly when we bake the zucchini in the oven. So after 10 minutes, remove the rice from the heat and place it in a colander.

• Peel and finely chop one large onion. Stew the chopped onion in a small amount of vegetable oil. When the onion becomes soft and transparent, remove from heat. Let the onion cool.

• Combine cooled boiled rice, fried onions and minced meat. Mix everything well, add salt and pepper. There should be enough salt and pepper in the filling so that the stuffed zucchini does not turn out bland. For a given amount of filling, I usually put 1 tsp. salt without a slide and 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper.

• To make the filling in stuffed zucchini more juicy, add a little water to it (50-100 ml, depending on the moisture content of the minced meat). Mix well again.

Preparing stuffed zucchini

• Now let's get to the fun part - stuffing the zucchini. So, grease the baking sheet with vegetable oil. Place the prepared zucchini halves on it. We stuff the zucchini with a delicious filling. At the same time, place the filling loosely without compacting it. We put it from the heart, with a small slide.

• Place the baking sheet with stuffed zucchini in a hot oven and bake for 25 minutes at a temperature of 170-180°C. Literally five to seven minutes before readiness, remove the zucchini from the oven and sprinkle with grated cheese.

• Place the baking sheet with stuffed zucchini back into the oven. When the cheese has melted and has a beautiful golden brown crust, remove the dish from the oven.

• Transfer the finished oven-baked zucchini to a large dish or serving plates. Pour sour cream sauce over the zucchini and sprinkle with fresh herbs.
• As you can see, cooking stuffed zucchini in the oven is very simple. For variety, you can change the composition of the filling and the shape of the stuffed zucchini. For example, we cut the zucchini not lengthwise, but crosswise, and use a spoon to hollow out the core to make small barrels 4-5 cm high. The preparation is exactly the same, but the appearance is slightly different.

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Reviews and comments:

Nastya 08.11.13
Stuffed zucchini is tasty and healthy. I make zucchini the same way, only I cut them lengthwise instead of crosswise. The result is long boats. One boat - one serving. I usually fry the minced meat, it turns out faster and there is a guarantee that it will all be baked, because the zucchini itself cooks quickly.

Alisa 05.25.14
Yummy! Grated cheese is a very good addition. The vegetable filling turns out tender, one might even say refined. Thanks for the recipe!

Tatyana Mikhailovna 04.06.14
To prevent the zucchini filling from drying out during cooking, I cover each piece with a zucchini slice. You can serve it on the table with this lid or remove it if, as indicated in your recipe, you want to sprinkle it with cheese.

Nata 03.08.14
Thank you for the recipe, when I cook for guests, I do everything as you do, when for myself, I cut the zucchini lengthwise, scoop out the pulp with a spoon and stuff it with the filling. This makes it faster and fits more into the oven.

Alyona
Nata, thank you for your feedback)))

Diana 01/29/15
And I took note of Tatyana Mikhailovna’s comment and decided to cover the zucchini with a tomato. The result was these stuffed mushrooms. Even after they were baked, I put a couple of dots of mayonnaise on top, which turned out to be delicious fly agarics. Both tasty and beautiful. Thanks for the great ideas. Personally, they help me cook something new every time.

Alyona
Diana, and thank you for the great idea with the fly agaric)))

Svetlana 05/30/15
Stuffed zucchini is delicious!!! I just like a lot of cheese, so that it drips off them.

Irina 02.06.15
I stuffed it not with zucchini, but with ordinary white zucchini. They turned out to be too large. Each boat contained 200 grams of filling. A little wasteful, but delicious :)

Alyona
Irina, if the zucchini is large, it is not necessary to make a wide and deep groove in it. You can limit yourself to a small depression in the middle and put a reasonable amount of filling. And zucchini baked in the oven is a very tasty dish in itself.

Tatyana 07/22/15
wonderful recipe. but it states that mayonnaise is needed. but it is not written when and where to add it. Apparently you need to coat the already prepared zucchini in minced meat...

Alyona
Tatyana, you almost guessed it))). Ready zucchini is either poured with mayonnaise, or mayonnaise is served separately with stuffed zucchini.

Victoria 05/18/16
I never cease to admire your site, yesterday I made these stuffed zucchini, added cheese mmm..... such an easy and healthy dinner))) just class!!! I decorated it like this)) Alena, you are a magician, I always use your site, and have already forgotten about the others. The most important thing is everything from available products, and small tricks that help improve the dish. Thank you)))

Alyona
Victoria, thank you for your review)))) The zucchini turned out very, very appetizing)))))))))

Sveta 07/15/16
Both ways of preparing zucchini are wonderful (both boats and stacks). I just want to add a small touch on my own, I use the pulp taken out of the zucchini right there, adding it to the minced meat, i.e. filling. It turns out juicy and delicious. Even in the vegetable version, the filling will not be superfluous.

Alyona
Sveta, thank you very much for your feedback and for the interesting and very practical addition to the recipe))))))))))

Valentina 07/15/16
Alena, you are very smart! Thank you very much for your work. The site is convenient, it has accessible recipes with very detailed and understandable descriptions - a real cooking school in absentia. And step-by-step photos help you understand what and how it should turn out if you are doing it for the first time. I myself only recently began to enjoy cooking; I didn’t know how to cook as a child, cooking didn’t arouse my interest - and the need to feed my family did not seem like a very pleasant responsibility. But! When it starts to work out and it turns out delicious, interest and pleasure in the process awakens. And you help us learn to cook. Thank you.

Alyona
Valentina, thank you very much for your kind words)))))))))))))))))

Natalya 05.29.18
These are the round barrel squashes I planted this spring. The variety is called "Scullion".

Daria 07/06/18
Good evening, Alena! Just like Sveta, I put the zucchini pulp directly into the filling! Yummy! As always, thank you so much for the recipe! :)

Alyona
Daria, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your feedback)))))))))

Sergey 09/12/18
Please tell me! I bake it in the oven for 25 minutes, but it seems to me that the zucchini is a bit tough - what should it be? Before this, I boiled the zucchini for 10 minutes.

Alyona
Sergey, if you boiled it for 10 minutes and then baked it for 25 minutes, then the zucchini should be ready. They should not fall apart, keep their shape, but also not crunch on your teeth)))))) What kind of zucchini did you use? Hopefully not overripe with a hard crust and large seeds.

Sergey 09/12/18
My zucchini tastes bitter for some reason? What's wrong? And the regular zucchini turned out great!

Alyona
Zucchini has appeared on our markets relatively recently, so not everyone knows how to choose good zucchini.
The young fruit is small in size and has a thin shiny skin that can be easily peeled off with a fingernail, like a new potato. These zucchini are tender, sweetish and cook very quickly.
Another thing is fruits that have lain for several weeks. The peel becomes denser, it no longer shines, but becomes matte, but most importantly, bitterness accumulates in it. Such peels must be peeled without regret, otherwise the bitterness can ruin the entire dish. Therefore, you should not buy zucchini for future use, these are not zucchini that can lie around)))))

Stuffed zucchini - cooking methods and filling options

Zucchini comes from America, but for some reason only seeds from overgrown fruits are used in cooking there. They were fried just like pumpkins, and the zucchini themselves were considered a fodder crop. This continued until the zucchini, along with other wonders of the New World, came to Europe. Enterprising Italians immediately found a use for young zucchini and came up with many recipes, including stuffed zucchini. So we owe the appearance of everyone’s favorite dish to Italian chefs.

Since that time, dozens, if not hundreds, of recipes and methods for preparing stuffed zucchini have appeared. Zucchini themselves have a neutral taste, so you can stuff them with anything. Some people love solid food and stuff zucchini with meat with the symbolic addition of rice, while others adhere to vegetarianism and make the filling from vegetables and rice. There are everyday recipes, without any special frills, when everything is prepared quickly and simply, and there are recipes for gourmets, for example, with Gorgonzola cheese, Spanish ham and ginger, where you need to follow the proportions so as not to spoil the dish. But still, the filling of meat and rice is considered a classic - this is the most popular recipe, and in many cookbooks it is number one. Well, let’s pay tribute to the classics and begin our acquaintance with this popular dish by preparing zucchini stuffed with meat and rice.

How to prepare zucchini for stuffing

It is advisable to use young zucchini for stuffing with thin, tender skin - then there is no need to cut it off. If the skin becomes rough, be sure to cut it off, otherwise it will remain harsh. Cut the zucchini crosswise into equal pieces, approximately 5 cm high. Using a sharp-nosed teaspoon, select the center with the seeds, do this carefully so as not to pierce the walls and bottom. You should end up with barrels with a bottom and walls about 1 cm thick. There is another way. Each zucchini is cut lengthwise into two halves, the middle is selected, and the resulting boat is stuffed with filling. You can stuff raw zucchini, or boil the barrels or boats in salted water for 2-3 minutes, then they will be more tender and juicy.

Zucchini stuffed with meat and rice:

• 4 medium zucchini
• 200 gr. pork and beef
• 2 onions
• 100 gr. rice
• 3 tomatoes
• Vegetable oil
• 50 gr. sour cream
• Salt and pepper, spices, herbs

Prepare the zucchini for stuffing. The meat and one onion can be cut into small cubes or passed through a meat grinder. Boil rice, mix with meat, onion, salt and pepper. Add spices and herbs. Stuff the zucchini and place them in a pan in one layer. Grate the tomatoes, fry the onions and grated tomatoes in oil, add a little broth or water, add salt and pour the sauce over the zucchini. Simmer over low heat until done. Pour sour cream over the finished zucchini. You can bake it in the oven, on a baking sheet, but in this case, be sure to add broth to the baking sheet so that the zucchini remains juicy.

Zucchini stuffed with chicken fillet and liver:

• 2 medium zucchini
• 2 chicken breasts
• 500 gr. chicken liver
• One onion
• 4 egg whites
• 150 ml. cream
• 100 gr. canned corn
• Bunch of dill
• Vegetable oil
• 300 gr. sour cream
• Salt and spices

Pass the liver and fillet through a meat grinder or grind in a blender. Beat the whites and add to the minced meat. Salt, pepper, pour in cream. Place the minced meat in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Cut the zucchini in half, remove the middle. Fill with minced meat. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the zucchini until golden brown. Finely chop the onion and dill, mix with sour cream, salt and pepper. Place the zucchini in a saucepan, pour in the sauce, and simmer for 35 - 40 minutes over medium heat.

Zucchini stuffed with cheese:

• 3 small zucchini
• 100 gr. cheese
• 4 tbsp. spoons of breadcrumbs
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 150 gr. sour cream
• Salt, dill

Cut the zucchini lengthwise into two halves, remove the middle. Chop it finely, lightly fry in vegetable oil and mix with grated cheese, breadcrumbs, garlic and dill. Add salt to taste. Fill the boats with filling, place in one layer on a baking sheet, grease the top with sour cream or mayonnaise. Pour some water onto a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 200 degrees.

Zucchini stuffed with rice and mushrooms:

• 4 small zucchini
• 300 gr. mushrooms
• One onion
• A third of a glass of rice
• 100 gr. butter
• 50 gr. grated cheese
• Salt, pepper, spices
• Half a glass of sour cream

Prepare zucchini for stuffing. Chop the onions and mushrooms, fry in oil, add washed rice, pour in a partial glass of water. Simmer until the rice is ready. Season with salt and pepper and fill the zucchini with filling. Place in a deep baking dish, add a little water, bake for 15 minutes. Then put a spoonful of sour cream in each zucchini, sprinkle with grated cheese, and return to the oven. Bake for another 10 minutes until golden brown.

Zucchini stuffed with cottage cheese:

• One zucchini
• 200 gr. cottage cheese
• clove of garlic
• Bunch of dill
• 4 tbsp. spoons of sour cream
• One egg
• Salt to taste

Cut the zucchini crosswise and make barrels. Cottage cheese, zucchini core, garlic, mince, salt, pepper, mix with dill. Stuff the zucchini, place them in a baking dish, pour in a mixture of sour cream and eggs. Bake in the oven at 220 degrees for 30 minutes.

There are many more options for fillings, this is just a small part of them, culinary classics. But classics are just classics, so you can deviate from them and come up with your own new combinations of products. Try, experiment, and you will definitely find the option for preparing stuffed zucchini that you like.