Loaded Zucchini Boats are hollowed zucchinis filled with marinara and sausage, topped with melty Cheddar cheese, and baked to perfection.
Next time try these Mexican Zucchini Boats.
Zucchini Boats
When I asked what types of recipes you wanted to see this year, low-carb meals were at the top of the list. So I’ve been hard at work to bring you some of the best low-carb meals I’ve ever had. And I have to say, I’ve loved every minute of it. This is quite the achievement for a self-proclaimed carb-aholic like me!
To quickly recap, the most popular low-carb recipes shared this year include Unstuffed Peppers, Turkey Taco Skillet, Egg Roll in a Bowl, and this Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet. I’ll admit, I didn’t miss the carbs at all in these meals. Zucchini Boats are another of my favorites to add to this list. Truly—low-carb heaven!
Ingredients
These are the main ingredients used in this recipe:
- Olive oil: Use a light drizzle to avoid soggy zucchini.
- Yellow onion: Cook until tender.
- Garlic: Add at the end of the onion cooking to avoid burning.
- Italian sausage: Choose mild or hot depending on preferred spice level.
- Dried herbs: Taste as you go and adjust the seasoning.
- Beef bouillon powder: This deepens the flavor of the meat sauce.
- Tomato paste: Stir well to avoid clumping.
- Worcestershire sauce: A little goes a long way, so use sparingly.
- Marinara sauce: Marinara is a great choice for a high-quality, flavorful sauce.
- Sharp Cheddar cheese: Grate the cheese fresh for the best melt and texture.
- Fresh parsley: Add right before serving for a fresh finish.
Quick Tip
If the zucchini halves don’t all fit in the 9×13-inch pan, grab another smaller pan like an 8×8 or 9×9-inch pan to add the leftovers that didn’t fit.
How To Make Zucchini Boats
- Preheat the Oven to 400°F (200°C). The zucchini will bake twice: once with filling and once without.
- Prepare the Zucchini by cutting them in half lengthwise and scooping out the flesh. A small spoon or melon baller works great here.
- Cook the Filling by sautéing onions, garlic, and sausage, then adding seasonings and sauce.
- Assemble the Boats by placing the zucchini in a dish, filling them with the mixture, and topping with cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the zucchini is tender, but not mushy.
- Serve hot. Garnish if desired.
Variations
- Heat Adjustment: For spicier Zucchini Boats, use hot Italian sausage or add red pepper flakes.
- Alternate Meat: Replace sausage with lean ground beef or turkey, and add more of the spices for flavor.
- Vegetarian Option: Sub the sausage with 2 cups of seasoned grains (like rice or quinoa). Add diced carrot and bell peppers, and top with extra-sharp Cheddar cheese.
Tips For Zucchini Boats
- Don’t Scoop Out Too Much: Leave enough of a border on the zucchini so that it can hold the filling securely without collapsing.
- Salt and Pre-Bake the Zucchinis: This removes some of the water (zucchinis have a lot!)
- Don’t Wait Too Long to Eat: These taste best warm out of the oven.
Storage
Can You Freeze Zucchini Boats?
Zucchini Boats don’t freeze or thaw well.
- Freezing: Avoid freezing whole Zucchini Boats as they become mushy. However, the meat filling can be frozen for 2-3 months.
- Storing the Filling: Cool the filling, then store in a heavy-duty freezer bag or container, allowing expansion space.
- Thawing and Reheating: Thaw in the fridge overnight; reheat on the stove over low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
More Recipes Using Zucchini
- Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffins
- Zucchini Pasta Sauce
- Zucchini Bread
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken
- Lemon Zucchini Bread
Zucchini Boats
These easy Zucchini Boats are stuffed with a savory sausage marinara filling, topped with melty Cheddar, and baked to perfection!
Equipment
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 4 small-to-medium zucchini
- Olive oil
- 1-1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion 1 large onion or 2 small ones
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 to 4 cloves
- 1 pound Italian sausage mild or hot
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons beef bouillon powder
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups marinara sauce I’m obsessed with Rao’s Marinara in this recipe!
- 1-1/3 cups freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- Fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Cut zucchinis in half lengthwise. Use a small spoon to carefully scoop the flesh out, leaving a firm border along the edges. Place zucchini halves in the prepared baking dish (see note 1) and drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the them. Rub the oil into each zucchini and add a small sprinkle of salt and pepper (the filling is salted, so just a pinch here!). Bake for 5 minutes and remove.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pan, add onion, and cook 3–5 minutes or until onion begins to become translucent. Add in garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Move onion and garlic to edges and add sausage to the middle of the pan. Cook and stir, breaking up with a wooden spoon into small crumbles, until cooked through and no longer pink, about 5–7 minutes. Drain off any grease if needed.
- Add all seasonings (oregano, thyme, Italian seasoning, beef bouillon powder, and salt and pepper to taste), tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir, cooking over medium heat, 1 minute or until very fragrant. Add in marinara sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes.
- Spoon meat mixture evenly into zucchini shells; it should fill 8 medium zucchini halves. Add freshly grated cheese evenly on top.
- Bake 20–25 minutes or until zucchinis are crisp tender (it should still have a bite to it but not be mushy!) and cheese is melted. If desired, add fresh parsley. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: If all the zucchinis won’t fit into one pan, no worries! Either fit zucchini along the sides of the pan or use another pan, such as an 8×8 or 9×9 pan, to hold the overflow.
Storage: Zucchini Boats don’t freeze or thaw well, though the meat filling mixture can be frozen for 2–3 months: Let it cool, then store in a heavy-duty freezer bag or container, allowing expansion space. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove over low heat, 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 647kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 2021mg | Potassium: 1376mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1381IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 372mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made it for the first time today it was delicious. Family loved it. Made pasta to go with it. Would make again.
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks Shirley! 🙂
Made these last night with the hot Italian sausage. They were delicious! Froze the extra filling I had, will definitely be making these again!
Yay! So happy to hear this! Thanks so much! 🙂
These were yummy. THANK YOU
You’re so welcome! 🙂
Made this yesterday and it was a HUGE hit! Zero leftovers and now is on the list of repeat meals. 🙂
I’m so happy to hear this Amy! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
These sound amazing – can’t wait for my zucchini plants to get bigger!
Mmmm zucchini!! These boats look awesome – I love all the colors too!
What a great looking dish, everyone in my family loved this!
I love how versatile Zucchini is. You can make bread, sauté it, make these boats…endless. These are super healthy Chelsea, that’s my favorite part! Creative way to use the Zucchini! have you ever made little pizzas using Zucchini as the crust? SO good! I particularly love using fresh herbs this time of year to top off dishes…thanks for sharing 😀 Enjoy the weekend ahead!
Those boats are great. Looking forward to trying this recipe. Your pictures are GREAT! Love this post 😉
Look at all those amazing colors! Sounds absolutely delicious and I feel healthier just looking at it 🙂