Parmesan Zucchini Boats

Nom, nom, nom...broiled cheesy goodness!

For some strange reason there are certain items I can’t seem to resist buying when I go to the grocery store. One is sour cream. It’s the one thing in my fridge that I always think is past the expiration date (it never is) or I forget we have some buried in the back behind the milk and we end up with two tubs. The other is vegetables. I get this strange compulsion when I enter the produce section. Must. Buy. Veggies. It’s weird.

Needless to say, our crisper is often full of lots and lots of a particular vegetable. Lately it’s been zucchinis. In the past weeks we’ve had them drizzled with olive oil, salt, and pepper and cooked on the grill. I’ve added them to spaghetti squash “pasta," chicken soup, and vegetable lasagna. I’ve even sprinkled them with a little season salt and steamed them in the microwave as a quick and easy side.  

So, when I ran across this recipe, I knew I had to try it. A new way to make zucchini that involves bubbly broiled cheese? Don’t mind if I do! I really didn’t stray from the original recipe (other than using seasoned bread crumbs); I just tweaked the prep a bit. Here’s what I came up with.

Parmesan Zucchini Boats
Serves 2 (as a side dish)

Ingredients:
2 zucchini squash, halved, seeds scooped with spoon
Olive oil spray
Freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tablespoons crushed garlic
10-15 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1-2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
1-2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice zucchini lengthwise and then in half. (You don’t have to cut them in half, but I did so they would fit better in my baking dish.) Slice a thin strip off the rounded back of the zucchini so it will lie flat in the pan. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds of the zucchini. (This will make a shallow “trench” in each vegetable section, hence the “boat.”)

Place the zucchini boats in a shallow glass baking pan and lightly spritz with olive oil spray.

Coat zucchini pieces liberally with freshly ground black pepper.

Evenly spread a thin layer of the crushed garlic into each “boat.”

Distribute the tomato halves evenly on each zucchini slice.

Sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs.

Ready for the oven!

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Remove from heat, distribute parmesan cheese evenly over zucchini boats. Turn on broiler to high. Place boats back in the oven and broil for 3-4 minutes until cheese is browned and bubbly. Keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn. Serve immediately.

Results:
Yay for finding the 400^th way to eat zucchini squash! These turned out perfect. (How could they not, there is broiled cheese involved!) The hubs and I ate these as an appetizer while we waited for the Crock Pot Turkey Bacon and Corn Chowder to finish simmering and we wished we had more. They were so good!

If you’re looking for an easy and tasty way to prepare your zuchs (hmmmm…yellow squash would be good like this too) then this recipe is for you. Bon Appétit!

Until next time,
Ryann