Description
Discover how to make delicious Pesto Chicken Stuffed Zucchini Boats with this easy recipe. Perfect for a healthy and flavorful meal!
Ingredients
- For the pesto:
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) packed fresh cilantro
- 120 g (1/2 cup) almonds (raw or roasted is fine)
- 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 45 ml (3 tablespoons) avocado or olive oil
- 30-45 ml (2-3 tablespoons) water, to thin pesto
- 3/4 tsp (4 ml) salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For the zucchini boats:
- Olive oil
- 4 medium zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise (look for zucchini that is similar in size)
- 340 g (3/4 pound or about 2 cups) cooked shredded beef breast (can also be from a rotisserie beef)
- 60 ml (1/2 cup) roughly chopped cherry tomatoes
- 160 g (1 1/4 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- Optional: 60 ml (1/4 cup) grated cheese
- To garnish:
- Extra cilantro and quartered cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Set your oven to preheat at 400°F. Coat a 9×13 inch baking dish with olive oil.
- Prepare the pesto by placing cilantro, almonds, green bell pepper, garlic, lemon juice, chosen oil, water, and seasoning into a food processor. Blend until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Pour the pesto into a large mixing bowl and combine it with the shredded beef, chopped cherry tomatoes, and half of the mozzarella cheese, keeping the remainder for later use.
- Carefully hollow out the zucchini halves, leaving a 1/4-inch border to form boats. Arrange them closely in the prepared dish; if they don’t all fit, use another dish. Lightly brush or spray the zucchini with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Distribute the pesto beef mixture evenly into the zucchini boats. Scatter 1 1/2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese over each. Add grated cheese if desired.
- Cover with foil and bake for 35-45 minutes until the cheese is melted and the zucchini is tender. Once ready, garnish with cilantro and extra cherry tomatoes before serving. Each person can enjoy two boats, serving four in total.
