Ground Beef Stuffed Zucchini

This easy low carb ground beef stuffed zucchini with Middle Eastern flavors is easy to make and great way to use garden zucchini. Eat it  as is for a low carb dinner or serve with rice. Each stuffed zucchini boat has only 4.5 grams net carbs, 16.7 grams of protein and 201 calories.

You might also like this low carb Johnny Marzetti zucchini casserole!

Growing up my grandmother (and mother) would often make stuffed kusa (zucchini). There were two ways that they made it. One way was with a stuffing of meat, onions and pine nuts. The other way was with meat and rice, sort of like a stuffed cabbage. And both were cooked in tomato sauce.

Both were excellent but my favorite was always this version of Middle Eastern ground beef stuffed zucchini. I love the meat and pine nuts together because who doesn’t love pine nuts! The only difference from theirs is that I made them as boats because it was easier to clean out and stuff.

So today I made this dish because a) it reminds me of my mother and grandmother b) it’s low carb and c) we have a lot of zucchini from the garden. 

Should I use large or small zucchini?

In the past I have made it with super big and smaller zucchini. I prefer the smaller size as the ratio of meat to veggie is better. On the other hand it’s a great way to use those super big zucchini you get in summer and don’t know what to do with.

So while my new pictures (bottom) show the large zucchini, I suggest you use medium to smaller sized ones (top). But as I said both will work.

Short cut for cleaning out zucchini to stuff.

To clean out the zucchinis, my family used to use a vegetable corer like this and it was hard not to make holes in the walls of the zucchini. Over the years, I found that if I just cut them in half length-wise and scoop out the middle with a melon ball scoop (see photo below) it is much easier.

This is what they look like once you’ve cleaned them. Note that you really are supposed to keep the zucchini whole. This way just seems easier to me.

How to make ground beef stuffed zucchini.

This is not a hard recipe to make but I’ll give it to you in steps.

1. First clean out the zucchini by slicing in half lengthwise and use a melon baller to clean out the inside. 
2. Use olive oil or cooking spray to oil both sides of the zucchini and broil 5-7 minutes on both sides. If you are using the big club like zucchini you might want to bake at 350°F them instead of broil for about 20 minutes or until they are nice and cooked through. The larger ones take longer to make.
3. Meanwhile in a large skillet onions for a few minutes, then add the ground beef and pine nuts. Add the seasoning as the meat is browning.
4. When the zucchini is done, fill them up with the meat mixture. 
5. Take the tomato paste and add some water to make it thinner and spoon over the zucchini. I
6. Place in a baking dish or keep on the baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 20-30 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Store leftovers in an airtight container. Please scroll down for the printable recipe card. You can serve this with rice or just eat it as is for a tasty low carb dinner.

I sent a picture  of the finished dish to my sister. She said if our grandmother was still alive she would go to her house every Wednesday for dinner. I forgot that we used to do that. Every Wednesday we would go to her house and she would cook the most delicious meals. Never a bad one. Ever. Funny how you never forget those things…gosh that was nice. <sigh> 

There is nothing like foods from your childhood to bring you comfort and joy and today it did just that. Even reminiscing with my sister today put a smile on my face. 🙂 Enjoy!!

The nutritional information for 1 serving (based on 8 medium sized zucchini halves making 8 servings) is: 201 calories / 12.2g fat / 6.6g carbs / 2.1g fiber / 16.7g protein = 4.5g net carbs.

 

More Middle Eastern Dishes To Try!

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