I was shopping at Costco this week and saw that they had a bag of eight small zucchini on for a really good price.
I say “small” zucchini because anyone that grows zucchini in their garden know that zucchini can get pretty big.
The ones that are available at grocery stores are small in comparison.
I bought them with the idea of making these zucchini boats.
Ingredients
Small zucchini ( as a side one zucchini each; as a meal two zucchini each)
Olive oil
Vegetable Seasoning
Real bacon bits or cooked bacon broken up into pieces
Parmesan cheese
Directions
You start by cutting the ends off then slicing the zucchini horizontally.
Place them on a greased foil lined cookie sheet or pizza pan.
Brush them with a generous amount of olive oil and sprinkle with Vegetable seasoning.
I decided to be thrifty when we moved to our apartment.
I took some vegetable seasoning from our large Costco sized container and filled an empty spice jar with some.
The spice jar holes are too small so now I end up dumping seasoning on my food.
More of something you like can’t be too bad??
Next I drop some bacon bits on top; also from Costco.
Did I mention I really have missed living near a Costco?!!!
Shake on some Parmesan cheese.
You will never guess where I bought it…Costco!!
Place in a 350° oven for 20 minutes.
If you want the cheese browned, broil for a few minutes.
This makes them tender crisp.
If you like softer zucchini you could raise the temperature a bit.
Test with a fork and you’ll know if they are soft enough for you.
Much to my husband’s chagrin, this was only half the zucchini.
He prefers raw veggies over cooked.
This means we will do this for a meal again within the next week. YUM!!!
Zucchini boats is one of my favourite meals.
Maybe next time I will substitute shredded cooked chicken for the bacon.
I am hoping our garden in Fort McMurray yields some zucchini for me this year.
I have tried to grow some a few times but there was either not enough rainfall or way too much.
Cross your fingers for me that this will be the year.
Worse case scenario, I can always cheat and buy some at the farmer’s market here in Grande Prairie as it is only a block away from our apartment.
I have 6 zucchini plants that came up. I too, prefer smaller ones so I will hope to keep a keen eye 👁 out to make sure to pick at a favourable size. I sense in our prairie that when this veggie was introduced people only used it for baking rather then a meal, I could be wrong, but that is the sense I get where I live. I love it filled with chopped onion, tomato, and garlic. Mom
Haven’t thought about doing them this way…I scoop out some of the zucchini and make a ratatouille with it (plus tomatoes and whatever other veg I have around), then stuff it back in and top with cheese. Also good doing them on the BBQ if you don’t want to use your oven.
If you end up with male flowers on your zucchini plants, harvest them and stuff them with ricotta and bacon and bake them – yum!
How do you distinguish male flowers from female flowers?
So so good. Janet made a delightful treat with the flowers for us last summer and can’t wait for her to repeat this summer.
We love zucchini raw or cooked. I will try your recipe