Zucchini Boats with Minced Meat in the Oven

In summer, during the peak vegetable season, when there are plenty of zucchinis, pattypans, and courgettes, it's the perfect time to prepare delicious and beautiful zucchini boats with minced meat in the oven. Simple to execute, yet very impressive, this meat dish, rich in various flavors, will please both on ordinary weekdays and at a dinner party.

Yield: 4 servings.

Preparation time: 55 minutes.

Caloric content: 66 kcal per 100 grams of the dish.

Ingredients

• young (milk) zucchinis - 2 pcs;
• onion - 1 pc. (50 g);
• any poultry meat will do - 400 g;
• tomato - 1 pc. (70 g);
• sour cream 20% - 60 g;
• garlic – 1-2 cloves;
• white sugar - a pinch;
• chili pepper - 1/3 pc;
• cheese - 150 g.

Preparation

1. Prepare the necessary ingredients for making zucchini boats with minced meat. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

2. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into 2 halves. To prevent the boat from being "rocked" in the oven or on the plate, cut a step on the bottom side. This cut will help securely and straightly place the blank.

3. Mark the contour of the future cavity with a sharp knife, leaving a wall thickness of 1 cm.

4. Use a small spoon to remove the flesh of the zucchini, trying not to cut the marked thickness of the boat and not to pierce the bottom.

5. Pour a little (50 ml) water into the baking dish used. Place the prepared blanks there, lightly sprinkling them with salt. Keep the zucchinis in the oven for about 10 minutes to warm them up and make them soft.

6. Meanwhile, chop the zucchini trimmings and flesh with a knife. Salt them.

7. Grind the meat using a blender or meat grinder.

8. Prepare diced tomatoes.

9. Finely chop the garlic (do not squeeze it through a press), along with the chili pepper.

10. Grate the cheese.

11. Let the softened boats cool down. Wipe off any excess moisture with a paper towel.

12. In a small amount of oil, sauté the zucchini trimmings, having previously squeezed out the moisture from them.

13. After about 3 minutes, add the minced meat. Do not stir it initially - let the bottom layer heat up and slightly sear, then start breaking it into pieces with a wooden spatula. Salt. Continue frying for another 5-7 minutes.

14. Transfer the tomatoes to the frying pan and for flavor balancing - a pinch of sugar. Hold everything over the heat for 3 minutes.

15. Add the garlic, chili pepper, and sour cream to the mass. Stir the mixture and after a minute, turn off the stove, while preheating the oven to 200 degrees.

16. Fill the zucchini boats with the filling. No matter how much filling there is, surprisingly, it all fits into these oversized blanks.

17. Hide the tops under a cover of cheese.

18. Keep the dish with the blanks in the oven with the top-bottom heating for 15-20 minutes. The cheese will beautifully spread, and the dish will be ready.

The prepared zucchini boats with minced meat in the oven should be served immediately - this is a hot dish, and it is best to prepare it for one occasion. As an option, the boats can be stored in the refrigerator for a day and then reheated in the microwave, but the taste will slightly diminish.