I created these Best Stuffed Zucchini Boats (they’re also gluten free and dairy free zucchini boats) years ago for my daughter, as a surprise when she was in college and came home for a visit. When she was in middle school, we both came up with a list of the top 5 foods we couldn’t live without if we could only eat 5 foods the rest of our lives. Zucchini was at the top of her list (coffee was at the top of mine). Needless to say, these were a hit! Bonus: they’re also relatively easy and quick to make.
Dairy Free Zucchini Boats
I made these Best Stuffed Zucchini Boats dairy-free and gluten-free. The recipe below offers the option to make them with or without dairy and gluten — it’s simple to make them either way.
Like me, my daughter doesn’t eat dairy, although she doesn’t eat it because she has a lactose intolerance. We’re quite a pair — me with a dairy allergy; her with a lactose-intolerance. Our family ends up having to eat dairy-free most of the time at home too, but they all loved these.
If you’re looking for more dairy-free zucchini recipes, try my Zucchini Noodles Turkey Vegetable Marinara or Spaghetti Squash Zucchini Lasagna.
Recipe Variations and Ingredient Substitutes
I used ground turkey (a house favorite), but you could use ground beef instead if you prefer. In the photos, you’ll also see some yellow squash. They work just as well as zucchini, and we had some left from a recent farmer’s market visit.
Tips on How to Make the Best Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Scooping out the insides of the zucchini can be slightly tricky the first time you do it, but after one or two, you’ll get the hang of it, and it will be easy. It’s kind of like scooping out the middle of a cantaloupe. Except you can save the insides of the zucchini. I chopped up what I scooped out into about 1 inch pieces and sauteed them in a small pan with some olive oil and a little salt and pepper. They aren’t exactly pretty, but they are really delicious! So instead of throwing away what you scoop out, try sauteeing it. 🙂
When scooping out the zucchini flesh, use a small spoon and start about a half inch back from the edge of your zucchini. The first time I ever made these, I made the mistake of scooping out the insides from edge to edge … creating a very leaky zucchini “boat.” You want to leave the edges on each side alone, so it will hold the filling.
Crunchy Topping = Zucchini Pizzas
The bread crumbs used on top give these a crispy texture. With the dairy free cheese (or regular) on top, these taste like healthy zucchini pizzas!
One of my “secret ingredients” in this Best Stuffed Zucchini Boats recipe is a gluten-free product called Hol-Grain Chicken Coating Mix. I used to be able to find it at Whole Foods, but I haven’t been able to find it in a store recently, so I buy it online via Amazon. There’s only 1 Tbsp in this recipe, so you can omit it, but I promise you it will taste better with it. And you will want to use this stuff on a LOT of things you cook, even if you don’t have to eat gluten-free. My husband doesn’t have any food issues, and he LOVES this stuff, calling it my “magic sprinkle stuff.” Note: if you buy from the Amazon link, the cost is the same to you, but I make a tiny commission, which helps keep my blog going. 🙂
Best Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 5-6 zucchinis (and/or yellow sqaush)
- 1 jar your favorite spaghetti sauce
- 1 pound ground turkey (93%/7%) (you can use ground beef, ground chicken or ground bison if you prefer)
- 3 tsp olive oil (2 for bottom of pan; 1 for bread crumb topping)
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs (I use dairy-free + gluten-free bread crumbs)
- 1 Tbsp Hol-Grain Chicken Coating Mix
- 1 cup Daiya dairy-free mozzerella "cheese" shreds (or regular mozz cheese)
- chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
- Brown your ground turkey; once browned, add your favorite jar of spaghetti sauce and simmer
- Spread 2 tsp olive oil on a baking sheet
- Wash the zucchini; cut off the ends and slice in half
- Scoop out the insides with a spoon to make your "boats" (save the flesh - you can saute it in a small pan - it's delicious); place each zucchini boat on the oiled baking pan
- Fill each zucchini with your meat sauce
- Mix the 1/4 bread crumbs, Hol-Grain mix and 1 tsp of olive oil
- Top each meat sauce-filled zucchini with the bread crumb mixture
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes
- Pull out of the oven and top with cheese; bake another 5 minutes. Let cool a little and enjoy!
