Our new neighbor, John, stopped by and brought a few zucchini he’s been growing in his yard. I had a pound of ground chicken in my fridge ready to turn into meatballs, but how could I combine the two and make a delicious meal? It’s crazy, but I had the show ” The Kitchen” on TV, and Katie was putting together a recipe using zucchini and ground chicken. Could the “food gods” be looking down on me?

I always have Parmigiano-Reggiano in my fridge, and I’ll show you how I utilize that cheese for this recipe. This is my version of Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Boats.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/katie-lee/chicken-parmesan-zucchini-boats-7457591.

 

 

 

Prep Time: 15 minutes (prep can be done while browning the chicken and baking the zucchini)
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yields: 6 to 8 servings
Equipment: 1 rimmed baking sheet pan, food processor, chef’s knife, spoon, 1 (10-inch) sauté pan, cutting board, 1 grapefruit spoon (used to remove the zucchini flesh)

Ingredients for the Toasted Panko Breadcrumbs:
1/2 cup of plain Panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon of butter, unsalted
1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley (or 1 to 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, added off-heat)

Ingredients for the Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Boats:
1 pound of ground chicken
4 tablespoons of olive oil (reserve 2 tablespoons for the top)
1/2 cup of onion, small dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground
6 large zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, then cut in half again, and the flesh is removed and reserved
1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
1 1/2 cups of jarred marinara sauce (substitute homemade)
1/2 cup of shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup of toasted Panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons of ground Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (substitute grated Parmesan)
Garnishes:
2 tablespoons of fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of basil leaves, finely chopped

Instructions for the Toasted Panko Breadcrumbs:
Melt the fat: Melt the butter (or heat the olive oil) in a skillet over medium heat.

Instructions for the Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Boats:
Preheat oven to 400°F.

Slice off the ends of the zucchini and cut it in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the zucchini flesh, then chop it and set it aside. Place the zucchini boats on a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and season with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken, using a wooden spoon to break it up, and cook 8-10 minutes, until browned. Add the diced onion, garlic, and tomato paste; stir to combine, and cook 8-10 minutes until the chicken is browned and the onions are soft.  Add the Italian seasoning, zucchini flesh, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon of freshly black pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Add marinara sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.

Spoon the chicken mixture evenly into each zucchini boat. Top with mozzarella, Panko breadcrumbs, a sprinkle of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown for 20-25 minutes.

Finally, garnish with fresh basil and Italian flat-leaf parsley.

There you have it, my Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Boats.

Notes:
1) To keep the total “cook time” at 1 hour, use the 15 minutes of “prep time” to brown the chicken on the stove while prepping the onion, garlic, and zucchini (including chopping up the flesh of the zucchini) and grating the cheese.

2) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/