creamy meat-stuffed zucchini

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 large thick zucchinis, ends trimmed
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 pound ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, or to taste
• salt to taste
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

Recipe

Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 50 mins Ready Time: 1 hr 20 mins


• bring a large pot of water to a boil, and immerse the zucchini in the boiling water. set heat to medium, and cook the zucchini until they feel slightly soft when pressed with a wooden spoon, about 20 minutes. drain the zucchini, and set aside to cool.
• heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. stir in the ground beef, and cook and stir the meat, breaking it up as it cooks, until the beef is no longer pink, about 8 minutes. stir in the paprika, and set the beef mixture aside.
• cut the zucchinis in half lengthwise, and scoop out the flesh with a spoon, leaving a 1/2-inch thick shell. chop the scooped-out zucchini flesh, and mix into the ground beef mixture.
• preheat oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c).
• in a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour until smooth. pour in the milk, a little at a time, and bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly. whisk in white pepper, nutmeg, and salt, and stir in half the parmesan cheese to create a smooth sauce. mix the white sauce thoroughly with the ground beef mixture. place the zucchini halves into a baking dish. fill the zucchini shells with the creamy beef mixture, and sprinkle each with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the remaining parmesan cheese.
• bake in the preheated oven until the parmesan cheese topping begins to turn golden brown, about 15 minutes.