Corn and Tomato Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Corn, tomatoes, and zucchini are my go-to summer veggies for dinners and salads. Stuffed zucchini boats are a great side dish and serve as a solid blank slate for lots of flavor combinations. These summery-stuffed boats are filled with freshly shaved corn, cherry tomatoes, and fluffy quinoa!
These stuffed zucchini boats are really simple to make. Just cook up some quinoa and in a pan, just saute some onion, then toss in the quinoa, chopped cherry tomatoes, and freshly shaved corn off the cob with some light seasonings and a splash of fresh lemon juice and the filling is ready! Stuff the zucchini boats and top with some shredded jack cheese and bake for a few minutes and you’ve got the perfect side for chicken, seafood, or beef!
You will need to pre-cook the zucchini boats before stuffing them. I roast mine for about 10-15 minutes until they are just fork tender. Once they are stuffed, they go back in the oven for a short period just enough to melt the cheese and then they are ready to be devoured!
Recipe Tips and Suggestions:
- I like to use freshly shredded jack cheese to top these boats. First, definitely take the few extra minutes to shred your own cheese as it will melt the smoothest! Second, if you don’t like jack cheese, you can use mozzarella or provolone. Alternatively, crumbled feta would also be really tasty to mix in!
- Feel free to add other veggies into the mixture if desired! Mushrooms and/or spinach would be good.
- You can swap the quinoa for white or brown rice or even couscous if you are not a fan of quinoa!
- Before stuffing the boats, you will need to bake the zucchini boats for a short bit so they are tender before you stuff them and top with the cheese. Don’t skip this step!
Corn and Tomato Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Corn and Tomato Stuffed Zucchini Boats - fresh corn and cherry tomatoes tossed with quinoa, lemon juice, and topped with melted jack cheese!
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 2 ears yellow corn, kernels shaved
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- fresh black pepper
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 3/4 cup fresh shredded jack cheese
- fresh chopped basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut zucchinis in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out inner filling, leaving about 1/4-1/3 inch thick (See photos). Place hollowed zucchini on a baking sheet. Brush one tablespoon olive oil over the boats. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until just fork tender. Set aside.
- While zucchini is roasting, prepare quinoa according to package directions. Once cooked. Fluff with fork and set aside.
- In a saute pan, heat the remaining olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Then add in the tomatoes and corn. Saute for an additional 3 minutes. Add in the quinoa and stir together. Season with salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice.
- Set oven to broil. Spoon out about 1/2 cup of the mixture into each zucchini boat so that it is contained (i.e. not spilling over). Divide cheese on top. Broil the zucchini boats for 2-4 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted. Serve warm. Garnish with fresh basil if desired (you can also chop some and mix in directly in the quinoa mixture).
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 350Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 474mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 6gSugar: 5gProtein: 15g