You know it is finally Summer when farmers’ markets and grocery store shelves are overflowing with zucchini & yellow squash. That is happening in our area right now. There are a lot of great & quick ways to prepare both of these Summer squashes. It is our go-to Summer veggie. Over the past 7+ years that I have been doing this blog, there have been more than a dozen zucchini recipes. We enjoyed them all (or they wouldn’t have made it as a post!) but there are five or six of those recipes in particular that we make over & over again all Summer long.
Zucchini Bread is always a good recipe to use up those green fruits, and Mary Ann Bruno of Lakedale Resort in Friday Harbor, WA uses a surprise ingredient that keeps her bread moist and gives it a delicious & unexpected flavor. It is the best zucchini bread I have ever had and I am so grateful to Mary Ann for sharing the recipe with me! For a quick pasta & veggie dish, my favorite is Gnocchi with Zucchini & Feta. For a great Summer side dish or a vegetarian main dish try this Lime Couscous with Summer Veggies salad. It is always a hit when we entertain. Besides tasting great, it is also important for meals to be quick to prepare with little clean-up afterwards. Hummus-Crusted Chicken wins on all fronts. And while I have done two different stuffed zucchini recipes in the past, (Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats and Chicken & Veggie Stuffed Zucchini) I am going to add another stuffed zucchini recipe today. This is for all those fans of spicy Buffalo wings inspired foods. And it is going into our permanent rotation this Summer!
Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats
Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats (adapted from JoyfulHealthyEats.com) Total Time Required: 1 hour + 15 minutes, Prep Time: 10 minutes, Cook Time: 1 hour + 5 minutes, Serves: 2-4
Ingredients:
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 pounds)
- 2 teaspoons Montreal Chicken seasoning
- 2 – 2 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened (use 2-1/2 ounces for mild, 2 ounces for spicy)
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup hot sauce (use 1/2 cup for mild, 3/4 cup for spicy)
- 2 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, seeds scooped out
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- ranch dressing, optional
- sliced red onion, fresh cilantro, avocado slices for serving
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350º F .Season the chicken breasts with the Montreal Chicken seasoning on all sides. Cook the chicken for 45 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165º F.
Season & cook the chicken.
Set the chicken aside to cool. When it is cool enough to handle, shred it.
Shred the chicken.
In a medium bowl, combine the shredded chicken, cream cheese, and hot sauce, mixing everything together to coat the chicken. (Use 1/2 cup of hot sauce + 2-1/2 ounces of cream cheese for a mild mixture or 3/4 cup of hot sauce and 2 ounces cream cheese for a spicy mixture.)
Mix the shredded chicken with the hot sauce and cream cheese.
Add the scooped out zucchini boats, flesh side up, to a 13 x 9″ baking dish.
Prep the zucchini boats.
Add the Buffalo chicken mixture to the zucchini boats.
Add the Buffalo chicken to the boats.
Sprinkle the Monterey Jack cheese over the top.
Sprinkle on the cheese.
Bake the boats for 25-30 minutes, or until the zucchini starts to get a little tender but is still crisp. Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle the boats with ranch dressing, if desired. Garnish the boats with red onion, avocado slices, and fresh cilantro, if desired.
Add some toppings & serve!
Great Summer meal!
Buffalo Chicken is spicing up our zucchini this Summer! ~Linda
Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats (adapted from JoyfulHealthyEats.com) Total Time Required: 1 hour, 15 minutes, Prep Time: 10 minutes, Cook Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes, Serves: 2-4
Ingredients:
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 pounds)
- 2 teaspoons Montreal Chicken seasoning
- 2 – 2 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened (use 2-1/2 ounces for mild, 2 ounces for spicy)
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup hot sauce (use 1/2 cup for mild, 3/4 cup for spicy)
- 2 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, seeds scooped out
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- ranch dressing, optional
- sliced red onion, fresh cilantro, avocado slices for serving
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Season the chicken breasts with the Montreal Chicken seasoning on all sides. Cook the chicken for 45 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165º F. Set the chicken aside to cool. When it is cool enough to handle, shred it.
In a medium bowl, combine the shredded chicken, cream cheese, and hot sauce, mixing everything together to coat the chicken. (Use 1/2 cup of hot sauce + 2-1/2 ounces of cream cheese for a mild mixture or 3/4 cup of hot sauce and 2 ounces cream cheese for a spicy mixture.)
Add the scooped out zucchini boats, flesh side up, to a 13 x 9″ baking dish. Add the Buffalo chicken mixture to the zucchini boats. Sprinkle the Monterey Jack cheese over the top.
Bake the boats for 25-30 minutes, or until the zucchini starts to get a little tender but is still crisp. Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle the boats with ranch dressing, if desired. Garnish the boats with red onion, avocado slices, and fresh cilantro, if desired.