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Stuffed Yellow Squash Boats – Healthy Recipe for Summer Squash

These stuffed yellow squash boats are the perfect way to use up a plentiful harvest of summer squash that seems to happen this time of the year.

One of our good friends showed up yesterday with a bag of yellow summer crook neck squash.

We all know the story of locking your doors so that you won’t be loaded with summer squash, which is such a prolific producer. Since my friend  obviously hadn’t heard this story, I came up with a recipe for them.

I decided to stuff them with beef and cheese. They were just delicious!

Three yellow squash stufffed on a white plate with a sprig of parsley.

I was not as lucky as my friend. My garden produced exactly three squash before a huge rain devastated the crop and then I had to deal with squash bugs for the remainder.

Making stuffed yellow squash boats

This zucchini boars recipe is very easy to make. You’ll need these ingredients:

  • yellow summer squash (green is fine too)
  • ground beef
  • olive oil
  • yellow onion
  • garlic
  • marinara sauce
  • egg
  • Panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 teaspoon  and pepper
  • Cheddar cheese
  • blistered tomatoes to garnish

Cut the squash in half lengthwise; then cut a thin slice from the bottom of each with a sharp knife to allow it to sit flat. Scoop out the pulp, leaving 1/4-in. shells. 

Place the shells in an un-greased 3-qt. microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain and set aside to cool.

Hearty zucchini boats are easy to make

Cook the ground beef with onions and garlic and then mix it with Panko bread crumbs and marinara sauce. Once it is combined, scooped the mixture into the cooled shells.shells topped with cheese.

Top the shells with cheese and cook for about 20 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.

beef mixture in cooked squash boats.Serve the stuffed summer squash boats with a side salad. They are just delicious!

Share this yellow squash boats recipe for on Twitter

If you enjoyed learning how to make zucchini boats, be sure to share this recipe with a friend. Here is a tweet to get you started:

These delicious stuffed yellow squash boats with ground beef and cheese are amazing! 😋 Learn how to make this mouthwatering dish on The Gardening Cook. #SummerSquash #StuffedSquash #GroundBeef #Recipe #HealthyEating… Click To Tweet

Stuffed Summer Squash Boats.

Other recipes using squash

We love all types of squash and eat it often. If you like it, too, one of these recipes might appeal to you:

Pin this recipe for squash boats with ground beef

Would you like a reminder of this stuffed yellow squash recipe? Just pin this image to one of your recipe boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.

Stuffed squash with words summer squash boats with ground beef and cheese.

Admin note: this post for yada first appeared on the blog in August of 2013. I have updated the post to add new photos, a printable recipe card with nutritional information, and a video for you to enjoy.

Yield: 8

Stuffed Yellow Squash Boats Recipe

Yellow squash on a white plate stuffed with beef and cheese.

Firm yellow summer squash get a face lift with this tasty filling mixture that is sure to please.

It's super easy, too. Microwave the squash first and fill and bake.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 medium yellow summer squash (green is fine too)
  • 1 pound of ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic, diced
  • 3/4 cup marinara sauce
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
  • Additional marinara or spaghetti sauce
  • 4 cherry tomatoes

Instructions

  1. Cut the squash in half lengthwise; cut a thin slice from the bottom of each with a sharp knife to allow it to sit flat.
  2. Scoop out pulp, leaving 1/4-in. shells.
  3. Place the shells in an un-greased 3-qt. microwave-safe dish.
  4. Cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain and set aside to cool.
  5. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the ground beef, onion and garlic in olive oil until tender.
  6. Add the ground beef and cook until the beef is no longer pink; drain.
  7. Remove from the heat; stir in the marinara sauce, egg, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup of the cheese.
  8. Place a bit of the marinara on the bottom of a baking dish.
  9. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the beef mixture into each shell.
  10. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 minutes.
  11. Add a cherry tomato in the last 8 minutes to garnish.
  12. Serve with additional marinara sauce and a side salad. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 318Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 89mgSodium: 500mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 4gSugar: 8gProtein: 22g

Nutritional information is approximate due to natural variation in ingredients and the cook-at-home nature of our meals.

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Thursday 20th of May 2021

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small commission from the sale, but the price is the same for you. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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