Turkey Zucchini Boats
David and I have different outlooks towards Thanksgiving. While he’s like a big kid and can’t wait for this Holiday to arrive so he can enjoy the Turkey dinner with all the goodies, I’m the opposite… I’m very apprehensive about Thanksgiving and can’t wait for the day to be over. By the time dinner is served, I’m tired, not really hungry and just want to sip my glass of wine so I can finally chill out!
The only great outcome from the Holiday is for the next few days I don’t really have to cook anything and simply reheat the leftovers because, YES, there is always leftovers especially the turkey meat! Unfortunately, I get bored very easily. Having the same meal over and over is so unexciting. I have to diversify our menu… That is when I like to use up the leftover meat and create other dishes with it like Turkey Tetrazzini, Turkey à la King on Toast, Turkey Chili Tex-Mex Style, Turkey Croquettes, Turkey Pot Pie, Club Sandwich with Chipotle Mayo with turkey meat, Turkey Noodle Soup, Turkey Pasta Casserole, and so on. Now here’s another delicious recipe to add to the list… my Turkey Zucchini Boats!
This recipe is amazing! It’s a beautiful combination of ingredients and the flavors are incredible! After washing the zucchinis, cutting off the ends and slicing them in half lengthwise, we remove the flesh, leaving about a ¼-inch border around the edges. From there, we cook the filling using cooked turkey meat, stuff the “boats” and finish them in the oven with some grated cheese on top… yum!
When cooking the ingredients for the filling, you can always reuse the zucchini flesh; chop it and add it to the mixture when cooking. I don’t use it for my Turkey Zucchini Boats recipe. Instead, I reserve it for other recipes like when I make a Frittata, some zucchini fritters, my zucchini carrot bread, in a Bolognese sauce, or this gorgeous Lebanese dish called Lib el-Kousa. Definitely don’t toss the flesh and simply freeze it if you don’t use it right away.
Talking about freezing… these Turkey Zucchini Boats can go to the freezer. After they’re baked, let them cool completely before storing them in a single layer in an airtight container. They’ll keep for up to 3 months.
Now that’s a dish that is fun to eat! Stuffed with a flavorful mixture, these Turkey Zucchini Boats are certainly a nice way to change the monotony of eating the leftover meat. It can be served as an appetizer as well as a main dish with a green salad. Don’t despair with the ton of turkey meat sitting in your fridge and reuse it to make this mouthwatering dish…
Bon Appétit!
Check out these other delicious poultry recipes…
– Chicken Française
– Roast Duck with Marmalade Glaze
– Chicken Stuffed Crêpes with Poblano Sauce
– Duck Breast with Blood Orange Sauce
– Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Garlic Sauce
– Asian Chicken Salad
and for even more poultry recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category • Poultry
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Turkey Zucchini Boats
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Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchinis, washed, ends cut and halved lengthwise
- 1 tbsp. olive oil tips & tricks
- 1/3 cup onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup celery, chopped tips & tricks
- 1/2 cup red peppers, chopped
- 1 cup button mushrooms, chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 2 cups cooked turkey, cubed see Recipe
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce see Recipe
- 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning tips & tricks
- 3/4 cup sharp white Cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup Panko® breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped tips & tricks
- 1/4 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF/190ºC and lightly grease a baking dish: set aside.
- Slice zucchinis in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh out with a melon baller, leaving about ¼-inch from the edges – reserve the flesh for other recipes. Place zucchini boats on the prepared baking dish; set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add oil and when hot, add onions and celery; sauté for 3 minutes. Add red peppers and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes. Add garlic and quickly sauté for 1 minute. Add cooked turkey, Marinara sauce, Italian seasoning and sharp Cheddar cheese; stir until the ingredients are well blended.
- Remove from the heat and add breadcrumbs and parsley; stir well and taste and adjust if necessary.
- Evenly stuff the prepared zucchini half cavities. Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese to cover the filling and dust with smoked paprika.
- Wrap the dish with foil and transfer to the preheated oven; bake for 35 minutes.
- 25 minutes later, remove the foil and continue baking for the remaining 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let it sit 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Yields 6 zucchini halves
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