Cheesy Chorizo Zucchini Boats Food

CHEESY CHORIZO ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Heat grill to medium-high heat.
• Scoop out seeds and flesh from centers of zucchini halves, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells. Discard flesh and seeds. Grill zucchini 2 to 3 min. on each side or until tender.
• Cook chorizo, peppers and onions in medium skillet on medium heat until done, stirring frequently. Add corn; cook and stir 2 min. or until heated through.
• Place Singles pieces in zucchini shells; top with chorizo mixture.

SAUSAGE-STUFFED ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• With a teaspoon, scoop out the flesh from the interior of the zucchini, so they resemble boats. Place the zucchini boats in a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Chop the zucchini flesh and set aside.
• In a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and let heat through. Add the sweet and the hot Italian sausage, and cook for 4 minutes. Add the garlic, onion, chopped zucchini flesh, tomatoes and some salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, add the Parmesan, mozzarella, breadcrumbs and parsley; mix to combine.
• Spoon in and mound the sausage mixture into the zucchini boats. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over top. Place in oven and bake until golden on top, 20 minutes.

ZUCCHINI BOATS STUFFED WITH CHEESY GRITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise to create 2 long pieces. Scrape a small, ideally pointed spoon down the center of the zucchini halves to remove and discard the flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch of flesh intact. Place the zucchini boats on the prepared baking sheet.
• Place a saucepot over medium heat and add the butter. Heat until melted, then brush the cavities of the zucchini boats with the butter. Add the chicken stock and reserved hominy liquid to the remaining melted butter and heat until simmering. Whisk in the grits and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the grits have softened and thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the pimientos, beans, chives, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 cup hominy (save the remaining hominy for another use). Season to taste. Remove from the heat and allow to cool briefly. (The grits will continue to thicken as they cool.)
• Sprinkle the zucchini boats with salt and pepper. Spread about 1/4 cup of the grits into each zucchini boat, mounding the filling over the edges. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the boats.
• Roast until the boats have softened and the cheese just starts to brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the fresh parsley and serve immediately.

GRILLED BACON, EGG AND CHEESE ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for medium-high indirect heat: For gas grills (with 3 or more burners), turn all the burners to medium-high heat; after about 15 minutes turn off the middle burner for 3-burner grills or the 2 middle burners for grills with 4 or more burners and keep the other 2 burners at medium high. For charcoal grills, bank one chimney starter-full of lit and ashed-over charcoal briquettes to one side of the grill. Set up a drip pan on the other side to avoid flare-ups. (The grill should be around 400 degrees F. Be sure to consult the grill manufacturer's guide for the best results.)
• Slice the zucchinis down the middle, lengthwise like a hotdog, so that you have 4 long, equal pieces of zucchini. Use a teaspoon to remove the flesh of the zucchini, being sure to leave a 1/4-inch border and to not pierce the bottom of the zucchini. Finely chop 1/2 cup of the zucchini flesh and discard or save the remainder for another use. Place the chopped zucchini flesh into a clean kitchen towel and wring out as much liquid as possible. Place the zucchini flesh into a medium liquid measuring cup or bowl.
• Flip the zucchini boats over so that the peel side is facing up and brush all four pieces with olive oil. Season the peel side with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper, then flip over and season the flesh side with another 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper.
• Add the Cheddar, Havarti, chives, cream, eggs, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper to the liquid measuring cup or bowl with the zucchini flesh. Whisk until well combined. Pour the mixture into the cavity of each zucchini boat.
• Using both hands to lift the zucchini carefully, place the filled boat in the middle of the grill over indirect heat (where the burner is turned off), cover, and cook until the eggs have puffed up slightly and are just set, 25 to 30 minutes. Use grilling tongs to remove the zucchini to a cutting board. Carefully wrap each zucchini boat in 1 of the bacon strips. Return to the grill over indirect heat and continue grilling, covered, until the eggs are completely set and the bacon is warmed and just crispy, 18 to 20 minutes.

CHEESY ZUCCHINI BOATS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Using a small spoon, scoop out the zucchini flesh, leaving a 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick shell.
• Wrap the zucchini flesh in a paper towel and squeeze out any excess liquid; discard the liquid and set aside the flesh.
• Place the zucchini shells cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 T olive oil over high heat.
• Add the zucchini flesh and onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Push the vegetables to the side of the pan, add the remaining 1 T oil and the bread crumbs, and toast the bread crumbs for 2 minutes.
• Remove from the heat, stir in the nuts and oregano, then combine with the vegetables; season with salt and pepper.
• Flip over the zucchini shells and line the bottoms with the mozzarella.
• Pack in the filling.
• Sprinkle with parmesan on top.
• Bake until the zucchini is tender when pierced with a fork, 20-25 minutes.