My grilled Chorizo Zucchini boats are quick, easy and the perfect summer dinner.
Growing up we had a huge garden. My mom got her green thumb from my grandma and while I hated weeding the garden as a kid, I was always fascinated by how the seeds we planted grew in to food.
As an adult I have carried on our family tradition. I loved all the fresh veggies that my garden offered. As I've gotten older, my gardens aren't as big as they use to be, but I always plant fresh herbs, tomatoes, two kinds of cucumbers, green beans and zucchini at a minimum.
My mom and I like to take the harvested zucchini and make a number of things out of it. Our sweet favorite is chocolate zucchini bread.
And our savory favorite is, of course, zucchini boats. Mom roasts her zucchini boats in the oven, I, however, prefer to grill mine.
When I'm pressed for time and want a quick evening meal, I short cut my Mom's recipe and opt for ease. Here's a quick and easy way to make grilled zucchini boats using string cheese and chorizo sausage.
I really like the spices and the little bit of heat the chorizo adds to this dish. It gives it a ton of flavor. The kids love it dipped in home-style ranch. Make sure you make extra as they tend to get gobbled up fast!
Step 1: Hollow out zucchini and place in a grill basket tray sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
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Step 2: Season the zucchini boats with salt and pepper. I like to use pink Himalayan sea salt.
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Step 3: Cut mozzarella string cheese in half length wise and place, round side down, into your zucchini boat. It's almost like string cheese was made for zucchini boats! Just make sure you put the flat side up so your chorizo sits flat on it.
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Step 4: Top your zucchini boats with ground chorizo. Spanish chorizo is made from coarsely chopped pork and pork fat, seasoned with garlic, pimentón – a smoked paprika – and salt. I'm using Johnsonville Ground Chorizo Sausage. It has garlic, chili powder, salt and paprika in it so its got a little bit of heat. I love it because its got all the seasoning done for me!
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Step 5: I added a little bit of Italian bread crumbs for a little crust on top of my zucchini boats.
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Step 6: Place on grill and let those savory boats cook up. When the meat is cooked all the way through and the cheese has melted and bubbled it will be done! Alternatively you could use a meat thermometer to check that the chorizo is at 160 degrees.
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Step 7: Garnish with a little fresh parsley and serve warm. You can also add a dipping sauce such as a homestyle ranch. So good! Enjoy!
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Links to the full downloadable recipe cards for my Grilled Chorizo Zucchini Boats and my moms Zucchini boats can be found here:
#zucchini #summerveggies #grilledveggies #zucchinirecipes #zucchiniboats #recipes #epicureandelights #learntocook #cookingschool #girlsgrill #summergrilling
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