We are in full swing with the summer season around here and one thing that is abundant at the farmer’s markets is zucchini.

Not just any zucchini, but HUGE ones, longer than the length of my forearm.

Those kinds of zucchini demand the need for stuffing.  A lot of people stuff zucchini with ground meat, and this was highly typical where I grew up.  Ground beef was usually the meat of choice stuffed into the zucchini along with maybe some tomato sauce.

I like the flavor of cooked tomato along with zucchini but I wanted to do a meatless version of stuffed zucchini.  Instead of meat, I used my favorite grain, millet.

Andrea’s Stuffed Zucchini

• 1 HUGE zucchini, (literally like a foot in length, or as big as you can find)
• 1/2C Uncooked Millet
• 1 1/2C Chicken Stock (or veggie broth)
• 2-3 Green onions, chopped (both white and green parts)
• 1/2C Shredded Carrot
• 1C Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
• 1tsp Garlic Powder
• 1tsp Italian Seasoning
• Shredded mozzarella or provolone (optional)
• Olive Oil for sauteeing

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a baking dish by rubbing some olive oil around it. In a small sauce pan, heat over medium high heat and add about a teaspoon of olive oil to it.  Add in the uncooked millet and brown for about 2 minutes.  Add in the chicken stock and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer until the millet is cooked and has absorbed the liquid.

Trim the edges of the zucchini and cut in half lengthwise.  Scoop out the insides being careful not to scoop down too far.  You want to create a long dent in the zucchini so you can stuff it with millet later.  Place zucchinis in the baking dish once they have been fully scooped out.

Once the millet has cooked, place in a medium sized glass mixing bowl.  Add in the tomatoes, carrot, and green onions. Add in the seasonings as well.  Mix until well combined.  Stuff the millet mixture into the zucchinis, packing them tightly.  If you have leftover stuffing, sprinkle that along the bottom of the baking dish.

Place in oven uncovered and bake until you hear the stuffing sizzling and the top is a golden brown color. The zucchinis should be cooked through by this point.  About 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with shredded cheese.

Because the zucchinis are so large, this can easily be a meal on it’s own.  If you want more, you can supplement with a side salad or maybe some sauteed greens.

This is a perfect make ahead dish as well.  You can prep everything in the morning before work (or even the night before) and bake it when you get home.  I would still bake at 400 but it will take a tad longer since the dish would be cold.  I would bake covered for about 15 minutes, and then uncovered for another 10-15.

I love millet and it works perfectly as a stuffing.  If you’ve never had millet before but have been curious (millet is also a great grain for those that have wheat intolerances), this would be a good way to get familiar with it.  The texture is like rice but it has a taste similar to polenta.

You could easily add some beans to the stuffing, if you wanted some extra protein kick.  Black beans or a white bean would work well with it.

Stuffed zucchini is a great way to use up some of abundance of veggies that are around this time of year.

Do you like zucchini? Have you ever had stuffed zucchini?

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!