Keto Stuffed Zucchini (Paleo, Gluten Free & Dairy Free)
Keto Stuffed Zucchini
Keto stuffed zucchini is stuffed with a mixture of three different types of meat, onions, and herbs. It’s roasted and then covered in a tomato meat sauce for a hearty Italian dinner that is perfect for any weeknight.
Today we are honored with Jessica Hose as our guest. Jessica is the hardest working blogger I know. Not only does she run her blog, Oh Cake, and works as a professional chef but she also founded the Food Bloggers Network on Facebook.
If you are a food blogger be sure to check it out for helpful advice and networking opportunities. Throughout her blog, you will see her passion for food.
Paleo Stuffed Zucchini
Hello! I’m Jessica from Oh Cake and I’m very pleased to be guest posting for Carol today. If you are a regular reader of Ditch The Wheat then you are probably already well versed in how to make delicious gluten-free and keto meals.
If you clicked through from Oh Cake, however, you might be a little stumped when it comes to preparing something a little different from the norm. After all, I’m the kind of chef that cooks (and eats!) whatever I feel like, from soup to nuts.
But cooking low-carb or gluten-free shouldn’t cause panic in your kitchen. Whether you’re cooking for friends and family or just want to try something new I hope you’ll enjoy this gluten-free recipe and while you’re here spend some time looking through all the other delicious options on Ditch the Wheat.
When I lived in Italy I often ate dinner at a friend’s parents’ house. His mother, Mariella, only had the confidence to make about ten dishes and she cycled through them every two weeks.
She was convinced she was a terrible cook (not true!) and so she had perfected these few dishes. One of my favorites was zucchini ripieni (stuffed zucchini) made with a ground pork stuffing. Today I’m sharing a keto Italian stuffed zucchini version.
What Are Stuffed Zucchinis?
I would pepper Mariella with questions about how she made her delicious stuffed zucchini but aside from saying that the filling was pork and the scooped out zucchini was added back to the stuffing she wouldn’t tell me how she made them because she was convinced they weren’t really any good.
They are fantastic!
Here is my interpretation of Mariella’s recipe, lightened up by using turkey in addition to pork and beef, and without any bread crumbs (which were common in Mariella’s Italian kitchen) so it’s gluten free stuffed zucchini.
Stuffed Zucchini Ingredients
- a few fresh zucchinis
- lean ground turkey
- ground pork
- ground beef
- some onion
- roasted red peppers
- tomato sauce
- some herbs like oregano and thyme
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
How to Make Stuffed Zucchini
Start by preheating the oven to 375º F. Use a small melon baller or knife to gently hollow out the insides of the zucchini.
You can cut each zucchini in half if that makes it easier. Reserve the scooped-out zucchini.
Finely dice the reserved zucchini. In a large bowl, combine the ground meats, herbs, finely diced onion, and the finely diced zucchini.
Mix well. Stuff into hollowed-out zucchini shells making sure to press filling all the way into the hollowed-out space.
Bake the stuffed zucchini while you make the sauce (about twenty minutes). Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet.
Add onions and any leftover filling. Brown meat, breaking up any large pieces. Add roasted red peppers and tomato sauce.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon about a quarter of the sauce over zucchini and continue baking until zucchini are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife and filling reaches an internal temperature of 165º F – approximately 45 minutes to an hour total time.
To serve: spoon the sauce onto the plate and top with one serving of zucchini. Top with grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
Can Stuffed Zucchini Be Frozen?
Yes, stuffed zucchini can be frozen. If you want to batch cook this keto zucchini recipe you can make a large batch and freeze it and cook it later. Adjust the cooking time since the zucchini and filling will be frozen.
Are Stuffed Zucchinis Keto?
Zucchini is keto. This vegetable is perfect for eating on a keto diet because it is extremely low in carbs. One medium zucchini has 6 total carbs and 4 net carbs.
Zucchini is used to replace pasta noodles for keto pasta, make fritters, added to soups, and made into zucchini fries.
More Keto Dinner Recipes
Keto Stuffed Zucchini
Keto stuffed zucchini is stuffed with a mixture of three different types of meat, onions, and herbs. It's roasted and then covered in a tomato meat sauce for a hearty Italian dinner that is perfect for any weeknight.
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini (approximately 6 oz each)
- 6 oz lean ground turkey
- 3 oz ground pork
- 3 oz lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Sauce:
- Olive oil
- Leftover filling
- 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, diced
- 1/2 cup onions, diced
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375º F. Use a small melon baller or knife to gently hollow out the insides of the zucchini. You can cut each zucchini in half if that makes it easier. Reserve the scooped-out zucchini.
- Finely dice reserved zucchini. In a large bowl combine the ground meats, herbs, finely diced onion, and the finely diced zucchini. Mix well. Stuff into hollowed-out zucchini shells making sure to press filling all the way into the hollowed-out space.
- Bake at 375º F while you make the sauce (about twenty minutes). Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions and any leftover filling. Brown meat, breaking up any large pieces. Add roasted red peppers and tomato sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon about a quarter of the sauce over zucchini and continue baking until zucchini are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife and filling reaches an internal temperature of 165º F – approximately 45 minutes to an hour total time.
- To serve: spoon sauce onto plate and top with one serving of zucchini. Top with grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
Carol Lovett is the founder of Ditch the Wheat and a Globe and Mail bestselling author of the cookbook, Ditch the Wheat. She has been eating gluten free since 2010. She loves all things food, natural living, and spiritual. She’s also a reiki master and crystal healer.
