Spicy Stuffed Zucchinis

I've been looking at this recipe for over a year since I took it out of the Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine back in May of 2009. I've never stuffed anything but a green pepper using my mother's recipe so stuffing a zucchini interested me. We had these for dinner last night and they were really good. We have plenty of left overs so I may freeze a few and John will be taking some to work for lunch next week. If you don't want them to be spicy you can leave out the Jalapeno slices.

Ingredients:

6 Zucchini - Sliced in half and scooped out
1 Onion - diced
28oz Can of Diced Tomatoes
1 cup Pickled Jalapeno Slices - diced
1 lb Ground Beef or Turkey
1 cup Brown Rice
1 1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Teaspoon Cumin
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
S&P to taste

Adapted from:

Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine Menu Planner May 2009 & Mom's Stuffed Pepper Recipe

Start by preheating the oven for 450 F. Slice the zucchini in half and using a melon-baller scoop out all of the seeds from inside the zucchini. Be careful not to take too much flesh. You will be left with 12 zucchini boats. I'm calling them boats because to me they looked like little canoes. Put them into two baking dishes and put a little bit up water in the bottom of the dish. Cover with foil and bake the zucchini boats about 15 minutes or until tender.

While your zucchini boats are in the oven. Add the olive oil to a large pan and put over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Next add the meat, using a wooden spoon break it up and allow it to brown. If you are using beef when all the meat has cooked drain some of the grease from the pan over the sink with a spoon.

           Add the cumin, can of diced tomatoes and rice. Mix well together.

Add the jalapenos, salt & pepper to taste. Allow it to cook 10-12 minutes stirring frequently so it doesn't stick to the pan.

By this time the zucchini boats should be done cooking. Drain the water out of the baking dish and sprinkle a little salt on the zucchinis. Using the melon-baller add the meat and rice mixture into the zucchini boats. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve with garlic bread and/or salad.

 If you are pressed for time this is a good dish to make the night before. Follow all of the same steps to construct the stuffed zucchinis but reheat them and melt the cheese right before you are about to eat dinner.

Enjoy!! - Nicole

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