Stuffed Zucchini

My gardener asked for a stuffed zucchini and was growing one just for the occasion. This was about 15" long.

I started (as I usually do when cooking) by dicing and sauteing one large onion. Yes, we like onions!

Gotta have garlic!

I cut the kernels off of two ears of cooked corn and added to the pan along with 1# burger. I used ground antelope here, but you could also make this with ground beef, chicken, or turkey.

I had 12 fairly good sized mushrooms in the fridge, so I chopped those up and sauteed them. I was glad I did... they added a great flavor to the stuffing! I also added lots of freshly ground pepper and some cayenne pepper. Yes, we like things spicy! After everything was cooked, I stirred it all together, put it in a bowl and into the fridge it went.

In the meantime, I cut the zucchini in half and scoops out the inside. You can use a small spoon, a melon baller, or a small cookie scoop to do this.

I made the stuffing in the morning and it was in the fridge the entire day so it was cold at this point, which worked out fine. I cut off about a quarter of this wheel of Cotija cheese (a good substitute would be Feta) or your favorite cheese... use whatever you like.

I crumbled the Cotija and mixed it in with the meat mixture. Then I added 3 beaten eggs and some bread crumbs, then mixed well.

I took the zucchini and stuffed each half with the meat mixture. Make sure to mound up the filling; you want it well above the edge of the zucchini.

I put some shredded cheese on top of the half we were going to cook, wrapped it in foil and put it on the grill for about 35 minutes. I wrapped the other half in foil and froze it for an easy dinner some night!

We really enjoyed this! It was very flavorful and filling. Leftovers were a cinch to heat up in the microwave, too! No zucchini? The stuffing would work just as well in bell peppers, too!

PRINT RECIPE HERE