Italian Sausage Zucchini Boats

This low carb, paleo, whole 3o friendly meal is a fun way to use up more of that summer squash without much effort! 

We are back to the daily routine after an awesome week on the east coast. I always feel so fulfilled after getting to spend quality time with some of my closest girl friends. A lot of the people I love are spread all over the country, which is a bummer, but it also makes these visits that much sweeter! Plus, my friends make some really cute kids and it is so fun seeing the difference a year makes in their lives!

Had so much fun playing with my sweet cousin Ian! He is just delightful!

The view from my cousin’s front porch…hello tranquility!

Plus this guy…at the awesome mini petting zoo at the Strasburg Railroad

Anyway, as I was traveling back home on Tuesday, I used the time to plan our meals this week. I knew I would be craving light and healthy meals that are also easy peasy since we are playing catch-up this week!

Enter: Italian Sausage Zucchini Boats!

I had an evening work event, so I knew this would be an easy meal to prep ahead of time and all Travis would have to do is pop the pan into the oven when he got home and dinner would be a cinch!

Ingredients:

For 4-5 Servings:

• 5 Zucchini (1 per person)
• 2 lbs Italian Sausage
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• About 1-2 cups  marinara sauce
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning

Instructions:

1. Start by sautéing your chopped onion and cooking up the Italian Sausage. Break it up into small pieces as it cooks until you can no longer see any pink. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning to taste. 
2. While your sausage is cooking, prepare the zucchini boats. Start by cutting them in half lengthwise. Then, use a small spoon to scoop out the seedy inside, being careful to leave a border around the outside. (I left the ends on to make the boats hold together better, then just cut them off as I was eating.)
3. Once the meat is cooked through and all of your zucchini are hollowed out, start assembling the boats. Fill each boat with as much meat as it can hold (will vary depending on size of zucs!) 
4. Once the meat is evenly distributed, add a big spoonful of marinara sauce to each boat. 
5. At this point, I covered them in plastic wrap and popped them in the fridge for later consumption! Love a good make-ahead meal! If you are ready to eat them ASAP, go ahead and pop them into the oven at 350° for about 30 minutes (until the zucchini is soft.) 
6. Finally, plate your boats and perhaps serve with a big, delicious artichoke! 

This meal could not be easier to prepare! It is light and fresh, but filled us up after a long day of work. Try this out the next time you want a quick and healthy Italian inspired meal!

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Italian Sausage Zucchini Boats

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

Servings: 5

Ingredients

• 5 Zucchinis
• 2 Lbs Italian Sausage
• 1/2 Onion Chopped
• 2 Cups Marinara Sauce
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning to taste

Instructions

1. Start by sautéing your chopped onion and cooking up the Italian Sausage. Break it up into small pieces as it cooks until you can no longer see any pink. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning to taste. 

2. While your sausage is cooking, prepare the zucchini boats. Start by cutting them in half lengthwise. Then, use a small spoon to scoop out the seedy inside, being careful to leave a border around the outside.

3. Once the meat is cooked through and all of your zucchini are hollowed out, start assembling the boats. Fill each boat with as much meat as it can hold without pouring over. 

4. Once the meat is evenly distributed, add a big spoonful of marinara sauce to each boat. 

5. At this point, you can either cover the boats in plastic wrap and store until dinner time. Or, you can pop them in the oven at 350° for about 30-35 minutes (until zucchini is soft to the touch.) 

6. Plate and serve!