One of the most loved veggies in my house is zucchini squash. In the summertime, we usually have so much of it, that I wind up making all sorts of things from zucchini bread to zucchini cakes. Our planting and growing season will soon begin, and I just started my zucchini plants from seeds. I can't wait to see the little plants start springing up in a few weeks, and then plant those in our veggie garden!

Since we love zucchini so much, we usually have it two or three times a week. Sometimes I even make a meal out of sauteed zucchini. I have become bored with the different ways I usually prepare zucchini for myself and my husband, however, and was ready to try something totally new this week. I found a great, simple recipe for stuffed zucchini, and really wanted to give it a try.

You will need...

1-2 medium to large size zucchini

1/4 cup chopped onion (I used sweet onion)

1/4 bread crumbs

1 beaten egg

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

To begin with, preheat your oven to 350. Next, put enough water in a Dutch oven to fully cover the whole zucchini. Add a little salt to the water. Once the water is boiling, cover the zucchini in the pot with a lid and continue boiling for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, carefully remove the zucchini and let it rest until it is cool to the touch.

I used one medium -large zucchini to serve 2 people.

While the zucchini cools a bit, finely chop 1/4 cup of sweet onion.

Next, carefully and evenly slice the zucchini in half, lengthwise- stems on.

With a spoon, carefully scrape out the pulp of a zucchini, creating a zucchini shell.

*Be careful when working with the zucchini- the inside will still be very hot.

Finely chop the zucchini pulp.

Next, stir together the beaten egg, onion, zucchini pulp and breadcrumbs. Add salt and papper to taste.

Mix in the cheddar cheese.

*Next, carefully place the zucchini slices into a shallow baking dish. The shallow dish helps when it's time to remove them after baking. I found this out the hard way!

Spoon the zucchini filling into the zucchini shells. Place into a 350 degree oven for twenty minutes.

*Side note- I used cheddar cheese in this recipe, because we were having BBQ chicken for dinner, and felt this cheese would best compliment the honey BBQ flavor. You can easily change up the cheese and the flavor of the zucchini. If you're having more of an Italian flavored meal, use a mix of Mozarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Here's the zucchini, baking alongside the BBQ chicken. Yum!

After the zucchini has baked for twenty minutes, remove from the oven and sprinkle more cheese on top of the mixture. Return the dish to the oven for 5 - 10 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and bubbly.

Zucchini is done!

Carefully remove the zucchini from your dish and plate. Tongs may cause the zucchini to break apart. I used a very large, wide spatula to remove these.

Plate it up and enjoy!

Quick side note- the zucchini was a meal in itself. It was incredibly delicious, and my picky eater husband loved it. We didn't need the chicken, or even the delicious cornbread to go with it. If you're looking for great veggie dishes to try this spring and summer, this one is a must-try! You can use smaller zucchini and make a bunch of them to serve as a side dish. Impress your family and friends at your next gathering with this crowd-pleaser!

Be sure to check out our other delicious recipes, and watch for a tasty new dish next week!

We love this recipe and hope you do, too! 

Give it a try this week, and let us know what you thought of it!