Stuffed Zucchini Cups

By [e-mail]

Zucchini cups are made from hollowing out the center of horizontally cut zucchini and filling them with a meat and cheese mixture and then baking until the zucchini is tender.

Ingredients

• 2 large zucchini or yellow squash, about 12 inches long
• 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 green pepper, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh garlic
• 1 pound ground beef
• 12 ounces ground turkey
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Accent seasoning
• 2 cups your favorite pasta sauce
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 30mins
Cooking time 60mins

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Chop onion and green pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large non-stick pan and saute onion and pepper for 3 to 4 minutes, until just starting to soften. Add minced garlic and saute about 1 minute more, being careful not to brown the garlic. Remove the onion, pepper, and garlic mixture to a bowl.

Add the additional 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pan. Crumble in the ground beef and ground turkey, season with Accent seasoning, and cook over medium heat until meat is well browned.

Drain the fat from the meat in the pan, then add the cooked vegetables and garlic to the pan. Add tomato sauce and simmer until the mixture has thickened and liquid has cooked off, about 10 minutes, then turn off heat.

While meat cools, cut zucchini into 2 inch thick slices, discarding ends. Use a sharp spoon or melon baller to hollow out a cup in each zucchini slice, leaving just over 1/4 inch of zucchini flesh. Be careful not to get too close to the skin or the cups will leak liquid when they cook.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Stand up zucchini cups, open end up. Stir 1 1/2 cups grated cheese into the cooled meat mixture and spoon the meat and cheese mixture into zucchini cups, pressing down with the spoon and mounding it up a little over the top of the zucchini.

Bake zucchini cups for about 20 minutes. Top each cup with the remaining cheese and put back in oven and bake 10-15 minutes more, until zucchini is slightly soft when pierced with a fork and cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Serve hot.