Zucchini Boats on the Grill
Delish zucchini stuffed with your favorite ingredients and finished on the hot grill. Great side dish or as a light meal on their own.
Delish zucchini stuffed with your favorite ingredients and finished on the hot grill. Great side dish or as a light meal on their own.
I make these all the time and you can just about throw anything in them. One real time saver-cut zucchini in half, take a microwave safe dish and put in a little water. Put zucchini cut side down. Cook on high 5 minutes. Varies with microwave. Then proceed with recipe. I always cook mine in my toaster oven, and put on broil the last 5 minutes or so.
Read MoreNeither of us cared for this at all. Lots of prep work with a lot of ingredients. Maybe that's the problem - there's just too much going on. Just too fussy, too mushy, and an unusual flavor.
Read MoreI make these all the time and you can just about throw anything in them. One real time saver-cut zucchini in half, take a microwave safe dish and put in a little water. Put zucchini cut side down. Cook on high 5 minutes. Varies with microwave. Then proceed with recipe. I always cook mine in my toaster oven, and put on broil the last 5 minutes or so.
This is a good mix of ingredients, and we will make these again. It would have been far to soggy if I hadn't drained and squeezed the zucchini meat in a colander and paper towels. Instead of closing them in foil, I made small foil boats and cooked the zucchini with the top exposed. This made them crunchy and tasty on the top.
Great, and very versatile! I used a leftover (cooked) burger patty instead of bacon, no chiles, and eyeballed the rest. I cooked the zucchini in the microwave, and to avoid the mushiness other reviewers experienced I drained the scooped pulp on paper towels before chopping (it was real wet). I also wrapped them separately in foil packets, then cooked them in a 450 degree oven on a baking sheet for 15 minutes. Will make over and over again.
I'm writing with an admitted aversion to basically all squash dishes, so I'll concentrate on the nuts and bolts of this recipe. I read many of the reviews, and consequently pre-cooked the zucchini w/about a 1/4" water in the microwave. I tried to squeeze the water from the removed pulp (tough to do, especially in a hurry) by squishing it against a strainer with paper towels. The I poured on the filling ingredients (really, any tasty combination will work, as long as it disguises the squash flavor/texture!). The items in the recipe work fine, but if I ever venture into squash territory again, I'd opt for stronger add-in flavors - Mexican (chorizo & cheese), Italian (hearty marinara & strong parmesean), or maybe more Mediterranean - assorted olives, sauteed mushroom blend, feta or chevre. The most important thing is to find a way to keep these boats from getting soggy. One reviewer recommended broiling the cut/scooped halves w/ a bit of EVOO - I think this would give a crispier canoe to fill than the microwave technique in water. I salute those of you who enjoy squash stuff; I encourage the rest of you to try this - a good and flavorful way to ease yourself into this vegetable group!
Instead of putting these on the grill, I put them under the boiler. Turned out great! I boiled the zucchini for 10 minutes instead of 5, prepared as directed except I reserved the cheese and sprinkled it over the top. Broiled for about 7 minutes -- until the cheese was brown and bubbly. Yum!
I omitted the green chilis (jalapeno is good enough) and omitted the olives (my family doesn't like them) My grill had no probane so I did this in my oven, unwrapped the foil last cple minutes under the broiler to get a little crispier. Delicious, will make often.
Wonderful dish! I baked in the oven w/o any foil @ 400 for 18 min. Added italian croutons(used no salt) and chopped cooked bacon. A+
These were delicious! I didn't add any tomatoes since my husband hates them, so to compensate I increased all of the other veggies a little bit. I also left out the bacon so that it was a vegetarian dish. I used red onion and added two cloves of freshly minced garlic. Like other reviewers, I just used breadcrumbs instead of bread. Lastly, I used a little cheddar cheese, but mostly I put in feta, which was very good. I did cook mine on the grill, and used another reviewers suggestion of making open "boats" instead of enclosing the zucchini in the foil. It was not mushy at all this way. I'll definitely make this again! It could easily be baked in the oven, so this is going to become a year round side dish in my family :)
I've made these before and they are great. We use sweet Italian sausage instead of bacon and they are a big hit.
I have made these twice now and let me just say they are amazing!! My bf is kind of picky about textures (hates mushy or squishy/slimy) and he LOVES these. They come out soft but the different textures from the filling helpl keep it from being mushy and or slimy. (try making an individual boat of foil around the bottom and sides leaving the top exposed on each one, then open up the foil to more of a little foil plate part way thru cooking. it helps give the top a crisp grilled texture.) They are really easy and a great way to jazz up eating your veggies. I need to remember to make them more often! I have made them once using what I had and once following the recipe pretty closely. (I cooked the zuckes in the microwave and added a little green bell pepper, used panko breadcrumbs not bread, and no bacon, but he wished I did use it.) Oh my Goodness. They are so good if you use the peppers the recipe suggests, a little bit of heat in there sets all of the vegetable flavor alive! I highly recommend making these, and try filling them with whatever you or your family like! I am going to try making them again stuffing them with some cooked hot italian sausage.. Mm now I am hungry from thinking about them! Good Luck and Happy Cooking
Neither of us cared for this at all. Lots of prep work with a lot of ingredients. Maybe that's the problem - there's just too much going on. Just too fussy, too mushy, and an unusual flavor.
You gotta try this! This recipe is outstanding. Thank goodness I found it just as the zucchini's are coming on. I am making this for a BBQ this weekend. I'm sure it will be a hit!!
This recipe was delicious. I did not have the soggy issue everyone had. I prepared it exactly as written except I forgot the tomato and didn't have chilis, so this review is based on that. I boiled the zucchini with the ends on. I cooled for about five minutes and just used a spoon to scoop out the zucchini. After chopping the zucchini, I simply picked it up by handfuls and squeezed out the water before adding to the mix, but there was not a lot. I put each zucchini half in foil and then filled it. There was enough filling to overstuff. I pre-heated the grill on high for 7-10 minutes and then turned it to medium. I sealed the four foil packets and set on the top shelf of my grill and closed the lid. Cooked for 20 minutes. The zucchini was soft, cut with a fork. (If you like firm veggies, this may not be the dish for you.) The cheese was melted perfectly and it looked like it was from a magazine! This is a meal for two, or a nice side dish for four. Update: Took to work and heated in oven for leftovers the next day. They were soggy and there was a lot of water in the foil. Probably better to store in a container and drain before reheating.
The first time I made these I followed the recipe as written and it was delish - definitely worth making. I don't think it's fair to change a recipe up and then rate it. The second time I made it I changed it in a couple of ways. I cut off the stem end and microwaved the whole zucchini for 4 minutes and let it cool a few before slicing it in half and scooping out the middle. Then I added Italian seasoned bread crumbs, red onion, garlic, cheese, red pepper flakes, and Italian sausage to it, along with the tomato in the recipe. I cooked it in the toaster oven at 400 for about 15 minutes and it was crispy on top, cooked through and fantastic. I think this basic recipe is a wonderful canvas to explore with. Thank you for submitting it.
This is a recipe you can use as a BASE and stuff with just about anything. I used my own stuffing ingredients but used this as a base on how to cook the zucchini "shells" from my garden. 5-7 min in boiling water, cool, stuff, 20 min on top shelf of grill. I emptied out my fridge for the stuffing because I had been away with no chance to go shopping. I used leftover meatballs & sauce, corn, sauted onion, diced carrot & garlic and cheese on top. With my clean the fridge out stuffing, they came out wonderful !!
I have to give this five stars even though I didn't eat any of it. I sent a boat over to the neighbor and he called back 10 minutes later begging for the recipe..I followed as written too...can't wait until I make again and maybe I'll get some of it:)
Wow, these were a huge hit! Followed the recipe exactly and everyone couldn't get enough. I made 4 zucchinis so double the recipe and didn't have fresh jalepenos so just cut up some pickled ones. Perfect!
I had tons of zucchini in my garden so I tried to find as many different ways to prepare it without my family getting bored. This recipe was a huge hit (with me because I could cook it on the grill, with the family because it had bacon...and let's be honest, you can't go wrong with bacon).
I love these. They are spicy and super easy. As a bonus, they actually get my husband to eat vegetables. Definitely a keeper.
I never had these before until I saw this recipe. It was great! Even my kids ate them up with no complaints.
My family really enjoyed these boats! Instead of grilling them, I baked them in foil at 350 for about 20 minutes. DEELISH!!
These are REALLY good. Can easily be converted to a vegetarian dish by subtracting the bacon bits. Be sure not to leave on the grill too long because the "boat" will get soggy.
Very attractive and super delicious side dish. I used a well-drained can of RoTel tomatoes with green chilies (that's all I had on hand), probably doubled the Cheddar cheese especially when I covered the tops of the zucchini after it was stuffed with Cheddar. I did cook the zucchini in a microwave safe dish with a little water for 5 minutes, as suggested by another reviewer an finished cooking them in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for about 30 minutes. Cheese had melted throughout and the spiceyness of the RoTel tomatoes guaranteed this dish would be on my list of great side dishes. Fantastic way to enjoy a big summer harvest. DH took the 4th one to work with him. That's all I need to know!! Many thanks for a great recipe
The filling was pretty good but these were not outstanding. Seemed like alot of work for ok flavor.
We loved these! I didn't really measure the ingredients, I just tossed them in until I thought it looked right. So easy, great grill flavor! I will add meat next time and make it a main meal. Thanks Baja!
Great way to get veggies in the little ones! I chose not to cook the zucchini before filling so that they would be a bit firmer!
Good, but I changed it alot! I only used what I had on hand. Of course I used zucchini but I didn't boil it. I added jalapenoes, onions, tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper, and swiss cheese. It took about 45 mins on the grill on low.
I used planto crumbs instead of bread and real bacon due to preference. Super yummy. Took a lot of time to make and made a mess in the kitchen but was worth it. Very filling so this was our only side with out pork chops.
Omitting the boiling step helps prevent mushiness, didn't save the pulp either, stuffed with bread crumbs and mushrooms with provolone and banana peppers...a brush of olive oil on the skin made grilling a cinch!
We love veggie boats, this is a good recipe, yes drain the pulp I mixed mushrooms, red onion, fresh cooked pepper bacon crumbles, fresh basil, cheddar cheese, wheat bread torn, I added a thin spread of butter substitute to the inside of the boats, then drizzled a littel of the bacon drippings on the boats after assembled. Very good, Will fix again, so versatile! Thank you
AMAZING!!!! LOVED IT! One of the best new recipes I've tried in a long time! I didn't have bread or breadcrumbs so I used StoveTop, haha! I'm not a fan of strong onion flavor but i didn't want to veer from the recipe too much, so I just minced pretty finely and it was amazing. Perfect amount of flavor. Made it in a foil "boat" on the grill but I'm sure it'd be great on the stove as well. YUM!!! This will be a regular in my household!
Fantastic!!! I love these zucchini boats. So much flavor with the bacon, jalepeno, and my favorite, green chili peppers. Made a few modifications based on my kids' dislikes and what I had on hand. I used bread crumbs instead of the piece of bread. I felt that the crumbs acted as a binder more than little pieces of bread would have. Also omitted the olives as we don't care for them, and barely used any onion (kids). Everything in this dish comes together so well. And with my healthy zucchini plant doing very well this year, I will have plenty of chances to have this one again:)
Very good! Served as an entree with a side of garlic angel hair pasta.
Very Very good!! BTW- they don't freeze very well!! But we tried!!
Made theese for the first time tonight, good but not outstanding. Will make again with modifications! Thanks for the recipe!
I love this recipe so much I use it for my acorn squash as well. Boil squash for ten instead of five and of course scoop out the pulp and throw away. Zucchini or acorn squash, either way this recipe is a keeper!
This was pretty good and the zucchini didn't come out all mushy. I didn't have cheddar so used parmagiano regiano, but I think cheddar would've been better.
This sauce was delicious. The only "problem" was that the flavor didn't seep through. So, be sure to reserve some for dipping, or otherwise make sure the flavor can permeate the chicken.
This recipe is wonderful. A light and healthy recipe that is delicious!
Looking for ways to use up the plethora of zucchini in the garden and stumbled across this recipe. Parboiling the zucchini whole for 5 minutes resulted in a mushy mess in the end product, so I do a quick 1 to 2 minute drop in boiling water, and then use a melon scooper to remove the middle.... Although the olives threw off the taste for me, the rest of the ingredients worked well together. I have also used leftover rice and stuffing from a holiday dinner with good results as well. This is really a very versatile dish that can easily be adapted to your family's taste buds with a little play in the ingredient list.
This took a little more time than I had anticipated (company coming over for a barbecue and I had to make 10 boats) but it was well worth the results. I too cooked the zucchini longer (15 minutes) as other reviewers suggested but the zucchini became too soggy (be careful as one broke while pulling it out of the water). It was easy to scoop out but I chose not to use the "insides" but filled these with all the other ingredients. I received rave reviews from everyone and my husband asked me to make it again!!!
These were a nice change to grilled veggies. I did however omit the boiling phase and cooked them directly on the grill. I also had some yellow squash that I used as well. Actually I think the yellow squash was better. This recipe is a keeper!
These were so easy and so tastey. We will make these again and again. Thanks!
Excellent stuffed zucchini. I used crushed seasoned croutons rather than the slice of bread and they turned out sooo good! Will make again. Thanks!
Used some herb stove top stuffing bread crumbs for the bread. Ver flavorful for zucchini. Would definitely make again.
I loved it but the husband isn't so sure yet. Next time I will cook twice as long, the zucchini was still VERY firm (not what we prefer)
I thought it 'needed a little something'. Next time I will add feta cheese. Overall, a nice presentation, and change to an ordinary vegetable dish.
These were great. A little hot for my family, but, I liked it. I used 4 small zuccinni. I boiled them for 5 minutes, removed from heat and let sit in hot water for 15. They were cooked just right as to not be too well done.
These are so cool! I'm very picky about the texture of my zucchini. No soft slimy stuff for me. For this recipe I did not boil the zucchini first. Great texture without that step. I grilled them about 15 minutes on indirect heat, but moved them over the flame a few minutes to speed up the process. The flavor was awesome... tasted like pizza with a lot less calories! I used real bacon instead of bacon bits, a toasted English muffin instead of regular bread, and three unseeded jalapenos. No diced green chiles. Beautiful presentation. Served with pasta with garlic and olive oil and white pork chops with Italian seasoning.
So I just read the recipe and realized I made more changes than I thought (because I forgot to add the basil, salt, and pepper) so maybe 5 stars isn't fair to the original recipe. But these are super yummy. I substituted red pepper flakes to taste for the jalapeno because I was lazy and didn't feel like cutting it up and fried up 2 pieces of bacon and crumbled them instead of bacon bits. Also cooked them in a toaster oven instead of on the grill. But I cannot wait to do these on the grill. Definitely making them again.
These were AWESOME. They make a great addition to any meal. I was thinking that it would be really awesome with something like ground turkey in it. I will definitely be making this recipe again!
I've had so many wonderful recipes off this website and this is one of the VERY BEST! We modified just due to not having everything on hand. We didn't use the peppers or bacon. Instead of white bread I used garlic and butter croutons - I HIGHLY recommend this - they added a lot of flavor! We added extra black olives and some green olives, too, which also added great flavor. Plus some green peppers. Because I'm always scared of watery zucchini, I cooked it for 6 minutes in the microwave on a plate (cut in half) without water. There was no way to scoop that out so then I microwaved it on three minutes cut side down in a bit of water. I still couldn't scoop it out so I ended up cutting the zucchini out, which made for some really sorry looking "boats" but they were encased in tin foil anyway so it didn't really matter. SO, SO, SO flavorful! This was an amazing recipe that we'll make over and over and over.
I used monster sized zucchinis and this cook method worked great. I followed the ingredients for the stuffing on this and really enjoyed the taste. Made another time and stuffed with other stuff I found laying around and that was incredible too. You can't go wrong!
OMG...this is delicious! I do not like over-cooked zucchini so I didn't cook it first. I followed the directions with few moderations. I used ham instead of bacon (I didn't have any on hand) and I covered them with extra cheese. They offset our rib-eye steak perfectly! They had amazing flavor! I can't wait to make them for company!
This recipe was great! The peppers made it a bit on the hot side, so be careful if you don't care for hot foods. I didn't change any of the ingredients, but I did wrap in foil and broil in the oven, since it is a bit cold to be outside grilling. They came out great. I can't wait to try them on the grill next time.
I wasn't thinking and directed dh to cut the zuc before boiling. Oops, the zuc came out squishy, but no one minded! It was still fantastic, but I will have to boil first next time to be sure of texture. I didn't use olives or jalap's due to families tastes. I added an extra Tb of green chile's and they definitely added a nice kick.
These are excellent! I took the advice of other reviewers and dried the pulp before adding to the mixture. It would have been too soggy otherwise.
These were delicious!! I took the suggestions of others and microwaved the zucchini as well as removing the liquid from the pulp. I also made little tinfoil boats and grilled them open, which gave them a nice crispy top. I sprinkled a little Parmesan cheese on top immediately after I took them off the grill. I omitted a lot of the ingredients, because I didn't have much of it on hand (olives, bacon bits and the peppers), so maybe it's not fair to give this recipe 5 stars, but there's no doubt in my mind it would have been just as tasty had I followed the exact recipe. Can't wait to make them again! UPDATE: I make these ALL the time and I change up the ingredients each time and they're ALWAYS delicious. Tonight I used red onions and diced jalapenos and we put a dollop of sour cream on top. This is now my favorite go-to, light, grilled dinner (I treat these as a meal for two rather than a side).
Very good! Too bad I put a little too much hot peppers for my liking
This was a wonderful treat! Even my children asked for seconds. So much fun to make and eat. Very flavorful.
I don't use olives, the bacon bits, or jalapenos. I use green bell pepper instead of the chili peppers and I add oregano and artichoke hearts to the mix. Terrific on the grill, but found it unnecessary to wrap in foil. Indirect heat right on the grate worked perfectly.
Absolutely delicious. Not a quick side dish. It takes quite a bit of time to make but if your having company that you'd like to impress this is the way to go. Also be aware that if u don't drain them well they get soggy in the tin foil.
My husband and I enjoyed this recipe. I did not add the jalapenos because I wanted my kids to eat it - they weren't impressed. I did not boil the zucchini - I shallowly hollowed out the zucchini and sprinkled salt then rubbed the outside with olive oil. I did not add much of the zucchini pulp to the filling and I had no problem with it being too wet. The bread I used I left out for a few hours so it was dry. Overall it was a nice side dish and it would be easy to modify the fillings.
Yum! I made my husband make this, much to his dismay, but he loved it! We added ground beef to the stuffing, and cooked the extra stuffing in the oven - great for lunch.
i added browned ground turkey b/c my husband will not eat "vegetarian" :) it was great....i actually broiled it in the oven for about 7 minutes......very good recipe!
Very tasty! I cooked them in the oven, then at the end opened packets up a bit and put them under the broiler for a minute or two to crispen up the tops.
I have made these in years past. I used croutons (slightly crushed) in place of the white bread. DELICIOUS!!!!
These were wonderful! Tasted much better than they looked. I did place this under the broiler for a few minutes after I took them off the grill to crisp them up a bit, which they really needed! Also, I made the aluminum 'boats' as well rather than wrapping them completely. Thanks for a different recipe!
I liked this alot. Family members apparently liked it better that I did. I will try it with yellow squash also. I also substituted bread crumbs as others suggested.
Very tasty! I made these in a last minute decision and they worked awesome over a bed of rice. I had some leftover hamburger meat that I added instead of bacon. I even omitted the pepper and chili because I didn't have them and it still tasted great.
Fabulous recipe! I did this with burgers at a USC (Gamecocks) tailgate and my wife and parents loved it! I used wheat bread instead of white bread but it still turned out great!
Try using any excess filling in potato skins, and top with lots of cheese!
I made these ahead and took them to my sister's barbecue party where they were served hot off the grill. Some folks loved them, others not so much. I really enjoyed them, but I'm a huge zucchini fan. I think next time I'll just chop up the zucchini and combine it with the rest of the ingredients to make a casserole. The boats were a nice touch for the party, but a little too much work for a week night side dish. Thanks for a tasty recipe!
I made these zucchini boats with Pork Marsala from allrecipes.com tonight and it was a great meal. I followed the recipe by boiling the zucchini, scooping out and adding the other ingredients to the zucchini except for the olives and green chilies. I probably used a little too much jalapeno as I had to guess home many slices in a jar I had made up one pepper. Overall, though, the recipe was very good. I did not use my grill as it was out of commission at the time. After stuffing the zucchini boats, I put them in a baking dish and covered it with foil and put in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Very good recipe and very healthy. Thanks for sharing!
Delicious and easy! We used the zucchini core plus 1 slice of wheat bread, 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 chopped onion, parmesan cheese, and 1 egg (to hold it all together). Fantastic!
This was a great recipe. A little time consuming but very much worth it. I did not cook the zucchini boat shells before stuffing. I slow grilled them a little longer to get those shells soft.
Really good! I made some changes to suit my own personal taste. Only used 1 tablespoon of bacon bits, increased black olives to 2 tablespoons and decreased minced onion to 1 tablespoon. Since I didn't have any green chile peppers, I substituted 1 tablespoon of salsa. Since the zucchini pulp is very wet, I placed it in a colander over a bowl as I was scooping it out of the shells so it drained before adding to the mixture. I don't have a grill, so baked uncovered in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and then sprinkled some Parmesan cheese on each one while still hot, before serving. I'm sure this was great as written, but a fun recipe to play with according to personal taste. Delicious!! Thanks, BajaTheCat!
This recipe was great, I had to make it with butternut squash instead of zucchini as none of the stores seemed to have any decent sized ones in stock, but even using butternut squash it tasted amazing.
This was amazing! I didn't grill them, and I cooked up two slices of bacon. I put them in the oven in a baking dish, covered it with aluminum foil and cooked them for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. This is a great way to get your greens :)
This became one of my regular recipes with the abundance of Zucchini. It is fabulous.
Awesome recipe! These were so flavorful and easy, it was a great side dish! I baked these in the oven for about 15 minutes instead of grilling them.
Super tasty on the grill! Left out olives and chiles because I didn't have them. I put them on the grill open faced. The bread crisped up really nicely.
I tried this recipe as my friend said it was similar to one his dad used to make. He LOVED it! Said it was better than the one his dad made. I tried a few of the other suggestions from other users - like putting them face down in water in the microwave to save time, but it didn't work as well. The pulp was still too hard. Should have boiled it instead. He also likes the zucchini very soft. I really liked it too, but omitted the bacon on my pieces since I'm going vegetarian. Just bought 2 more packages of zucchini from Trader Joe's as it will be a staple in our diet for awhile. Healthy eating. :)
I liked this recipe. Great one to shake things up during the summer overload of zucchini. I will make this one again, but next time I will add more flavor.
This was alright but nothing special. I doubled the filling. I would make again if i needed to use up zucchini but would not go out of my way to buy the stuff to make it.
This recipe was good and the filling was absolutely delicious. I did find that I had to cook the zucchini about 10 minutes longer, in order to make the scooping-out much easier. Thanks!
Very good! I made it without bacon and used bread crumbs instead of bread. Also, used green olives instead of black. And, i'm from Wisconsin, so we always use more cheese than advised!
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