Our garden is overflowing with zucchini. Zucchini has been on our menu at least twice a week for the last three weeks and it will probably stay that way for the rest of July. Our squash plants are finally flourishing and we are up to our ears in fresh, organic, homegrown zucchini and spaghetti squash. The watermelon and cantaloupe plants that we planted back in May are also starting to bear fruit, which is absolutely amazing and rewarding to see. This recipe is an old favorite that I have been making for a few years now. My dad really loves these and has been making them himself a lot recently as well. When you hear crab, you may automatically think “expensive.” This dish has all the crab flavor and decadence without the high price tag. Just one can of crab meat is used in the whole recipe, but it’s enough to flavor the entire dish. This meal truly has it all: tender crab meat, melty cheese, and crisp zucchini. I usually serve this with a veggie side dish (pictured: garlic lemon green beans, fresh from my dad’s garden!) for a complete meal. You could also sub yellow squash for the zucchini or you prefer those, I have used both and they turn out exactly the same. I initially intended this recipe to serve two people, but my zucchinis were quite large, and Kevin and I absolutely could not finish two boats each. One would have been plenty, so I listed this recipe as 4 servings. If your zucchinis are on the small side, you may want to use 3 to accommodate all of the filling. Or, just over-stuff them and call it a day 🙂
Active Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients: 2 zucchinis ½ cup yellow bell pepper ½ cup onion 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon garlic 1 teaspoon paprika 6 ounce can crabmeat ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs ¼ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
¼ cup reduced-fat mozzarella, shredded
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with tinfoil. Set aside. Cut zucchinis lengthwise and scoop out the middle with a small spoon or melon baller. Discard pulp and place zucchinis on baking sheet. In a medium-sized skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Meanwhile, finely chop bell pepper and onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in paprika, crabmeat, breadcrumbs, and parmesan cheese.
Divide filling among zucchini boats. Top with shredded mozzarella. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until zucchini is softened, but not overcooked. Serve with vegetable side dish or a side salad.
Nutrition Information per serving: 1 zucchini boat
Calories: 236 Fat: 12g Carbs: 17g Protein: 17g Sodium: 441mg Sugar: 5g
*Nutrition information is based on the products I used personally in this recipe. Different products may yield slightly different information.
