This dish is especially relevant in the summer, when the zucchini on the market is a dime a dozen. They are very inexpensive and are not included in the list of recognized delicacies. Although, if you try, you can cook a dish with this vegetable that is no less bright than, for example, a salad from cod liver. The main thing is to know what to do!
The right choice of zucchini and the nuances of cooking
- Use young vegetables. They are distinguished by their small size and light skin. Their flesh is especially tender, which will benefit the dish.
- Peel and remove seeds. The peel should always be removed only if you are not working with “milk” fruits. And we extract the seeds to make room for the filling.
- Zucchini stuffed with minced meat should be baked half the time under the foil. This will allow both meat and vegetables to cook at the same time.
- The average baking period for small vegetables is 60 minutes. Large zucchini are cooked up to 90 minutes.
- Vegetables have a neutral taste, so you can give completely different shades to stuffed zucchini. The recipe for a delicious dish always contains spices with a rich aroma.
Cooking in the oven
We offer you 3 recipes of baked zucchini, which will help diversify your menu.
Stuffed zucchini with minced meat in the oven
Served as an independent dish, without a side dish. Using cheese makes the recipe delicious, even festive. Delicate flesh and juicy filling complement the elegant taste palette.
You will need:
- zucchini - 1 large or 2 small;
- minced meat (pork and beef) - 0.5 kg;
- onions - 2-3 heads;
- fresh greens - a bunch;
- hard cheese - 200 g;
- mayonnaise - 100 g;
- tomato paste - 2 tbsp .;
- salt and black pepper.
Cooking
- Zucchini cut along, remove the seeds from the halves. Put the resulting "boats" in a baking dish.
- Grind onion and herbs in a blender, mix it with minced meat. Add pepper, salt and mix.
- Mass fill zucchini billets so that the stuffing is on the same level with the “border” of the boats.
- Grate cheese, add mayonnaise and tomato paste to it, mix well.
- Spread zucchini with this mixture, covering completely both the minced meat and the edges.
- Bake for 40 minutes in an oven preheated to 200 °. Thanks to cheese, the products are cooked evenly.
Stuffed Zucchini with Meat and Rice
A tasty and hearty dish that can be prepared for a family dinner.
You will need:
- zucchini - 3 pcs.;
- boiled rice - 300 g;
- minced meat - 500 g;
- butter - a tablespoon;
- onion - 1 head;
- carrots - 1 pc.;
- parsley and dill - half the bunch;
- hard cheese - 75 g;
- salt, pepper, curry and other favorite spices.
Cooking
- From the zucchini make "boats", remove the middle of them with a spoon.
- Sauté the minced meat with carrots and onions until cooked.
- Add salt, pepper, season with curry.
- Combine the mass with finely chopped herbs, rice.
- Mass fill the zucchini, place them on a baking sheet, greased with butter. Cover with foil and place in the oven, heated to 200 °.
- After 40 minutes, remove the pan and sprinkle the zucchini with grated cheese.
- Put in the oven already without foil to get a golden crust.
Stuffed zucchini, baked in the oven, with cottage cheese
A great light meal that will let you forget about the restrictions on food, even if you are on a diet.
You will need:
- young zucchini - 3 pcs.;
- cottage cheese - 500 g;
- eggs - 1 pc.;
- garlic - 1 clove;
- hard cheese - 100 g;
- parsley and dill;
- salt and pepper.
Cooking
- Cut the vegetables lengthwise, remove part of the pulp.
- Kill the cottage cheese in a blender so that there are no lumps, add chopped herbs, garlic, egg, pepper and salt.
- Stir the mass, put it in the zucchini.
- Sprinkle a baking sheet with olive oil, place zucchini “boats” on them. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 180 °. Then remove the foil and bake the same amount.
Cooking zucchini in a slow cooker
It is equally easy to cook stuffed zucchini in a slow cooker, the recipes here are also very different, for example, with meat and mushrooms.
Zucchini stuffed in a slow cooker
You will need:
- zucchini - 2 medium-sized young vegetables;
- minced meat (pork, beef or assorted) - 300 g;
- onions - 1 head;
- tomato - 2 pcs.;
- cheese - 100 g;
- sour cream - a couple of tablespoons;
- salt and pepper.
Cooking
- Divide the zucchini into halves across to make “barrels”. For stability, cut at the bottom.
- Remove the pulp with a spoon. Install the cylinders in the multicooker bowl.
- Mix the minced meat with onion, chopped zucchini pulp, herbs.
- Stuff the cylinders with mass.
- Dice the tomatoes, mix with sour cream and cheese. Put the mass on zucchini on top.
- Cook for 40 minutes in the “Baking” mode.
There can be many filling options for this recipe. For example, you can fry minced meat with mushrooms and onions. Or stuff the cylinders only with mushroom filling mixed with onions and carrots. In a slow cooker, the dish cooks faster than in the oven, it turns out juicy and tasty.
Now you know how to cook zucchini with minced meat in the oven and slow cooker, as well as create a dish with other fillings. Try and experiment! With zucchini it is very simple!
Video: Stuffed Zucchini Recipe