There is that time in the summer when zucchini is so plentiful that people don’t know what to do with it. Garrison Keillor jokes that the only time people in Lake Woebegone lock their cars doors is during zucchini season. They fear that people will leave a bag of zucchini on the front seat of an unlocked car. The truth is, there is so much more to zucchini than bread. This one is a favorite in our house: Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Zucchini Boats.
Who doesn’t love a good bacon cheeseburger? I mean, I’m not saying it’s good for you. But yummy, oh yes. In a world where we are looking for carb friendlier meals, the cheeseburger on a bun is out, but there are other vehicles for that cheeseburger if you look. We often make Venison Cheeseburger Salad with homemade Russian Dressing. However, during those high yield zucchini months, I discovered that a zucchini boat also makes an excellent device to deliver that bacon cheeseburger goodness.
Prepare the Zucchini Boats
Slice your medium sized zucchinis length wise. Then, scoop out the seeds with a spoon. You can then set these aside.
Prepare Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffing
Like my Venison Cheeseburger Salad, I start with a mix of ground meat (usually ground venison in our house, but beef, turkey or chicken would all work), bacon, Worcester sauce, onions, garlic and sometimes mushrooms.
Cut the bacon into smaller pieces. I used my Kitchen Aid Kitchen Shears for this. It worked awesome. I just held a several slices of bacon in my left hand. Then, I cut off half inch pieces which I then cut in half or thirds. Cook the bacon up in a cast iron skillet (we love our 12.5 inch model for jobs like this) until the fat begins to form. Drain the drippings, leaving some if working with leaner meat.
Add onions, ground meat and seasoning. Cook until all the meat is cooked through. About 10 minutes.
Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Fill the zucchini boats with the bacon-burger mixture. Top with grated cheese. Bake in a 350 oven until the zucchini is cooked to your desired tenderness. 40-45 minutes.
We then topped ours with fried onions (like Frenches).
And, my busy Working Mom Friends, this can easily be made ahead. On the weekend, just prepare the meat, stuff your zucchini, place them in a baking dish, cover with foil. Then on the the day you want to eat them, pop them in the oven. They take a little longer to cook when you start from cold. Or you could even make the meat ahead and freeze it and stuff them on the day you want to eat them.
Eat and enjoy. Let us know if you try these Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Zucchini Boats. Do you stuff your zucchinis and if so, with what?
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| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 45 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1/2 lb bacon
- 1 lb ground meat venison, beef, turkey or chicken
- 2 small onions chopped, about 2 cups
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons Worcester
- 2 med zucchini
- 1 cup grated cheese
- fried onions like Frenches
Ingredients
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- Prepare the zucchini boats by cutting them in half length wise and scooping the seeds out. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut bacon into half inch squares. Cook over medium heat in a large cast iron skillet.
- When bacon begins to produce fat, add the ground meat, onions and seasonings. Cook until meat is brown. Remove from heat.
- Fill the zucchini boats with the meat mixture. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until the zucchini is cooked to your desired tenderness.
- Top with fried onions (like Frenches).
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