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Replace Potato Skins With Zucchini Boats

August 1, 2012   20 Comments

Row, row, row, your zucchini, gently down the STREAM!!

Light Stuffed Zucchini Recipe

Okay, I am not losing it. I am just singing when I cook. I found this groovy Zu-Canoes recipe on Eating Well’s web page and I had to play with it.

The idea is simple. Hollow out your zucchini into a canoe and then stuff it. Yum!

I decided to do a take on a makeover of the evil potato skins that you can find in every bar in the country. A plate of potato skins at Applebee's is a whopping 1340 calories, 94 grams of fat, and 1850 mg of sodium. Be sure to bring many friends to share this monster.

I didn’t add bacon to my zucchini boats. I used al Fresco Sundried Tomato Chicken sausage as a flavorful substitute. al Fresco sausages have 70% less fat than pork sausage and are free of nitrites, nitrates, preservatives and artificial ingredients.

One link of their sausage is only 140 calories and I was able to use just one for 4 zucchini halves and it was pretty good. Not bacon good, but you won’t miss it.

If you can find chicken sausage that you like in your grocery store, give it a try. It is fully cooked and can make a fast dinner with onions, peppers, etc.

I also added cheese to the top because everything tastes better with cheese :) You don’t have to add the cheese if you don’t want it.

This recipe has more steps than my usual concoctions. While the zucchini is cooking in the microwave start chopping your veggies and sausage. Then, you will have to heat the filling on the stove (the sausage is already cooked so you just have to heat it through).

Finally, stuff your boat and you can start sailing.

I recommend playing Christopher Cross’s “Sailing” while eating these :) Yes, I grew up in the ‘80’s. Argh.

The al Fresco product was received for review consideration. No other compensation was provided.

Light Stuffed Zucchini Recipe

Stuffed Zucchini Recipe

1.6 from 24 reviews

(makes 4)

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Ingredients

2 medium zucchinis
1 small tomato
1 chicken sausage (ex: al Fresco Sundried Tomato)
¼ cup grated cheddar cheese (optional)

Instructions

Slice off the ends of the zucchinis and cut them lengthwise. Using a small spoon, scoop out the seeds and put them in a bowl.

Place zucchinis in a covered microwave-safe dish and cook on HIGH for 3 minutes to soften.

Chop zucchini insides, tomato, and chicken sausage. Heat a frying pan and add chopped zucchini insides, tomato, and sausage. Heat until hot.

Add mixture to hollowed out zucchinis and top with one tablespoon of cheese. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

For one half zucchini with cheese = 83 calories, 4.6 g fat, 4.8 g carbohydrates, 2.8 g sugar, 7.1 g protein, 1.4 g fiber, 235 mg sodium, 2 Points+

Points values are calculated by Snack Girl and are provided for information only. See all Snack Girl Recipes

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20 Comments:

I made something similar to this a few months ago where i stuffed bok choy. I don't remember exactly what i put in it but i think i used crab meat (when it was on sale), chopped bok choy. (choy stuff choy! :D) and then topped with small bits of jarlesburg cheese and bread crumbs and put in the oven. it was similar to stuffed mushrooms and really really good. Sounds unhealthy but it wasn't.

This dish sounds all kinds of divine. As a vegetarian (ovo-lacto) since 1988, I would use chick peas or mushrooms instead of the sausage. Way to turn an assortment of everyday foods into a delicacy fit for a Roman emperor. This would be great food for entertaining

Love Zucchini boats! There so fun and easy!

Our zukes are coming in now; I've already done a batch of boats with breadcrumb [onion, garlic, parsley, parm, sauce] filling this weekend but I like your use of chicken sausage better esp with the fresh tomato; maybe a bit of fresh basil too. For scooping zukes I use my melon baller. Chickpeas are another great suggestion, maybe a little leftover brown rice, tomato, cilantro, etc. Thanks SG and Sparkina and Bubbles for all the inspiration!

How did you know I had two zucchini's in the fridge waiting to get used up? I love this idea!

The filling ideas are endless...I cannot wait to make these!

I love this idea and think kids would think it is fun too.

I love making "zu-canoes"! I am also vegetarian so I make mine stuffed with wholewheat orzo, a little marinara, garlic, artichokes, and pine nuts, topped with cheese & breadcrumbs.

Snack Girl- You are amazing. Love the idea and can't wait to try it. I will add a bit of chopped jalapeño to spice it up. Yummy! I also love your Christopher Cross's "Sailing" recommendation. What a hoot...:-)

I love zukes. But we like the skins because the place we indulge at makes them crispy before adding the stuffing. Anyone had any experience crisping up zuke boats?

Great side dish option. Always looking for new quick ideas! Thanks for adding the "pin it" button on your website!

I buy Amylu Chicken sausage from Oberweis Dairy and I love their mango jalapeno flavor… must try with this recipe. Thanks!

hi lisa just mad your zucchini recipe was very good ,only problem i had was the shells were undercook.is there a way to get them soft so we can eat the whole squash

My dinner tonight is going to be somewhat similar to this. I got a roly poly zucchini that I intend to hollow out and cook with a mixture of the zuke insides, tomato sauce, feta cheese and basil and then crack an egg over the top. Here's the site with the recipe... http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-eight-ball-zucchini-with-eg…

@peggy - Every microwave seems to be different. Just cook them for 4 minutes and see how soft they are. Keep cooking until you get your favorite tenderness. Thanks for the question!

I'd like to make this tonight, but don't have a microwave - I make a similar thing with eggplant where you brush the inside of the shell with a little olive oil and then bake for 15 minutes - would that work here?

@Stacie - yes, that would work here. Great question!

I'm confused by the directions -- scoop out the SEEDS and vput them in a bowl, or toss the seeds and cut out the insides of the zucchini to save? Also, how long / what temp could this be cooked to make the suggestion about bread crumbs and cheese on top taste better than microwaving?

Great idea, yummy too. I like Styx "Come Sail Away" for my jam while cooking boats.

has anyone tried this by grilling the zucchini first and then stuffing? I would think that would be yummy

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