Hi Everyone,
Want to hear something funny? As you may know I grew my own zucchini in the garden this year. Well, I made a few recipes and lots and lots of zucchini bread this season, but one thing on my list of things to make is a stuffed zucchini. I would pick my zucchini, get ready to make my recipe and I got lazy and told myself, I’ll do it tomorrow. Needless to say after weeks of doing this, I never stuffed a zucchini. Matter in fact my zucchini plant is done for the year, so no more zucchini. But I kept thinking I have to stuff a zucchini this season, so what did I do? I went to the Farmers Market and bought a big zucchini so I can stuff it. I must have grown about 30 zucchini’s and I never used them and I ended buying zucchini, why did I do that? Sheesh! Anyway, I did it! I am finally sharing with you a stuffed zucchini recipe and let me tell you this is probably my very favorite zucchini recipe of all time! It is my Jalapeno and Chicken Stuffed Zucchini!
Why I waited so long to make this recipe I will never know? Anyway, this is one fabulous recipe and it is perfect to serve up at a party or have for dinner like we did! It’s filling, chock full of chicken, cheese and my favorite jalapenos. It’s kind of like a jalapeno popper stuffed in a zucchini! Yes please!! I am in pure heaven with this recipe!!
My zucchini is stuffed with cream cheese, mexican blend cheese, chicken and jalapenos! Oh man so good! The only problem I had with the recipe is I wish I added a little more jalapenos to the filling, but that doesn’t mean I can’t add them after they are cooked! I have to tell you this recipe was a hit with my family. When I served it, I was told this is huge, I’ll never finish it! Well they were wrong, they ate every last bite! How can you not? It is cheesy, spicy goodness in every bite! This is the perfect way to get someone to eat zucchini!
To make this recipe, I took a little short cut! I used a rotisserie chicken that I picked up from the grocery store to stuff in my zucchini. I mixed my chicken in with only 1 oz of cream cheese and 1/4 cup of Mexican blend cheese and my homemade pickled jalapenos. It doesn’t sound like much for ingredients but it was perfect! Oh and the zucchini about 12″ long and weighed 1 1/2 pounds! I told you I used a fat one! I scooped out the center of the zucchini and filled it with my chicken and cheese filling. You can see the cored out zucchini here. I was questioned on Instagram if I precooked my zucchini, but I didn’t and it was perfectly tender. The key is to cook it on 350 for about 25 minutes. Most stuffed zucchini recipes say to cook it on 400 degrees, but I decided to slow cook it. I’m terrible at pre-cooking my food! I don’t’ have patience! I just want to put it together right away and then eat!
- Serves: 2 servings
- Serving size: ½ recipe
- 1½ lbs. (12" in size) zucchini
- 6 oz. chicken, cooked
- 1 oz. cream cheese, reduced fat
- ½ cup (2oz) Mexican Blend Cheese or Cheddar Cheese
- ¼ cup pickled jalapenos, chopped (for more spice, add more jalapenos)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray; set a side.
- Cut zucchini in half horizontally. Scoop out the center of each zucchini half, making it look like a canoe. Discard scooped zucchini or reserve for another use.
- In medium bowl add chicken, cream cheese, and ¼ cup of the Mexican Blend Cheese; mix until combined. Fold in chopped jalapenos. Take the filling and stuff into each half of the zucchini. Top the zucchini halves with remaining cheese and top with 4 pickled jalapeno slices. Place on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
This recipe makes two servings but it could easily make four servings if you use it as a side dish. As I mentioned above, we ate half the zucchini for our dinner. We served it with some french bread and a salad! It was perfectly filling! I had fun with this recipe and I can’t wait to see what else I can stuff in a zucchini! What do you like to stuff your zucchini with?
Have a great day!
Toodles,
Jennifer
Sounds like you have quite the garden. What a delicious way to prepare zucchini! Looks delicious!
Thank you Cheri! 🙂
Sounds amazing and I love that the recipe is so easy! Saved!
Thank you! 🙂 It is pretty easy and so good and filling.
I just found what I am making for dinner tonight! Yum!!
Hi Annie! let me know how it turns out for you! 🙂
Looks amazing so it okay that you didn’t use your home grown zucchini! I love that you added chicken, such a great idea!
Thank you so much Chris. The money for the zucchini did go to charity! So it’s a win, win! 🙂
Ahhh I want my own garden too!! This looks great!
Just wanted to say I made this tonight and it was delicious! Granted, mine didn’t come out near as pretty as yours, but delicious all the same:)
Thank you Jess! I am so glad you like it! I am sure yours was just as pretty! 🙂
Have you ever used the zucchini that you cut out inside this recipe minus the seeds if any? I do with other stuffed zucchini recipes. I hate to waste it but didn’t know if it would b too moist or maybe add an egg
Has anyone ever used fresh roasted jalapeños instead of pickled jalapenos. I live in West Texas on the border and using pickled peppers is not to my taste when fresh roasted is our choice here.