Italian Style Stuffed Zucchini Squash Crock Pot Recipes

ITALIAN SAUSAGE-STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cut each zucchini lengthwise in half. Scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-in. shell; chop pulp. Place zucchini shells in a large microwave-safe dish. In batches, microwave, covered, on high 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender., In a large skillet, cook sausage and zucchini pulp over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink, breaking sausage into crumbles; drain. Stir in tomatoes, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, herbs and pepper. Spoon into zucchini shells., Place in 2 ungreased 13x9-in. baking dishes. Bake, covered, 15-20 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5-8 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. If desired, sprinkle with additional minced parsley.

ITALIAN-STYLE STUFFED ZUCCHINI SQUASH (CROCK POT)

Steps:

• To toast pine nuts, place them in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until golden or about 5 minutes.
• Place the zucchini halves in the bottom of an oval shaped slow cooker.
• In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the tomato sauce and vinegar.
• In another small bowl, combine the onions, garlic, rice, parsley, basil, pepper, along with 2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce-vinegar mixture.
• Fill the zucchini halves with the rice mixture.
• Top with the remaining tomato sauce-vinegar mixture.
• Cover and cook on LOW until the rice is tender, 4 to 6 hours.
• Garnish with the pine nuts, fresh herbs, and cheese.
• Makes 2 main dish servings or 4 side dish servings.

SLOW COOKER STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Scoop out flesh from the zucchini halves, leaving shells about 1/8 inch thick. (Zucchini flesh may be saved for another use.)
• Place tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, basil leaves, Italian herb seasoning, and sugar into a food processor and pulse until blended, about 1 minute. Set mixture aside.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add sausage to skillet and cook, stirring often, until browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato mixture and heat until simmering; stir in Parmesan cheese.
• Place hollowed-out zucchini shells into the bottom of a large slow cooker, trimming them to fit if necessary. Spoon the sausage mixture into the shells, cover the cooker, and cook on High until tender, about 6 hours. Remove cover and spread a layer of mozzarella cheese over each stuffed zucchini. Cover and cook on High until cheese has melted, about 10 more minutes.

EASY STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cook and stir the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until the meat is browned, breaking the beef up into crumbles as it cooks, about 10 minutes. Drain off excess fat, and transfer the beef into a mixing bowl. Slice the zucchini in half the long way, and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/2-inch thick shell all around the zucchini. Chop the scooped-out zucchini flesh, and add to mixing bowl. Stir in the bread crumbs, garlic, spaghetti sauce, black olives, and Parmesan cheese; mix the stuffing well. Lightly stuff both halves of the zucchini with the meat mixture. Place the zucchini halves into a baking dish, and cover tightly with foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, remove from oven, and remove the foil. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese over each zucchini half. Move an oven rack to within 6 inches of the oven broiler's heat source, turn on the broiler, and broil the zucchini until the mozzarella cheese is browned and bubbling, about 5 minutes.