Italian Stuffed Zucchini

If you decided to grow zucchini in your garden this year, you're probably facing the age old problem of what to do with ALL of those glorious green squashes.  Let's face it, you can only make so much zucchini bread.  And while I love it sliced up and grilled or roasted with just a little olive oil and salt & pepper, you again start to get tired of having it with every.single.meal.  In my searching around to find new ways to use up my zucchini harvest, I saw lots of recipes for stuffed zucchini or zucchini boats.  So I figured, I can make something like that no problem!

Italian Stuffed Zucchini

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb. ground beef, elk, deer, etc.
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 can tomato sauce
• Splash of red wine
• 1/4 c. parmesan cheese
• 4 large zucchini, halved crosswise and again lengthwise, seeds scooped out

1. Saute onion, pepper, and garlic until onions just start to turn translucent.
2. Add meat to pan and brown, breaking up into small pieces.
3. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and cook until all liquid has evaporated and brown bits appear.
4. De glaze the pan with a generous splash of red wine making sure to scrape up all the brown bits.
5. Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and the tomato sauce.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer until liquid is reduced by half.
6. Meanwhile, cut zucchini and scoop out the seeds.  Spray a large baking dish with olive oil and place zucchini in it.
7. Spray with olive oil spray and salt and pepper the zucchini.
8. Spoon meat and veggie mixture into the zucchini quarters.  Top with parmesan cheese.
9. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-30 minutes.

These turned out sooo good!  My husband especially loved them and told me this was a keeper recipe.  These kept great in the fridge, and I think would freeze marvelously wrapped in tinfoil and placed in a freezer bag or container.  Hope you enjoy! :)