Zucchini Boats Baked in the Oven with Ground Meat and Mushrooms
Tasty festive main dish with an original presentation! These baked zucchini boats with ground meat and mushrooms are great when you want to pleasantly surprise guests. They’re not only delicious but also look beautiful on the table. You make one dish and get two in one: meat with a side!
Updated : 19 January, 2026
Easy
About 30 min.
Ingredients
3
Cukinija
200 grams
Mushroom
300 grams
Ground meat
1
Onion
100 grams
Hard cheese
to taste
Salt
to taste
Pepper
1
Cucumber
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How to make zucchini boats? Prepare the ingredients. I used fresh mushrooms, but you can also use frozen. Keep in mind they’ll need a bit longer to fry because they release extra moisture that must evaporate.
Step 2
Wash the zucchini and pat dry. Cut in half lengthwise. Make cuts inside with a knife without reaching the skin. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon and set it aside. We’ll add it to the mince later after finely chopping it. The zucchini halves will be the base for the “boats.”
Step 3
Clean the mushrooms, wash them, and finely chop. Peel the onion and finely chop it as well. Heat a frying pan, pour in vegetable oil, and fry the onion and mushrooms until cooked, stirring. Grate a hard or semi-hard cheese on a coarse grater.
Step 4
To the ground meat (I used a mix of chicken and pork), add the fried mushrooms with onion, the chopped zucchini flesh, and 2/3 of the grated cheese. Mix everything. Add salt and pepper to taste. Preheat the oven to 190°C / 374°F.
Step 5
Line a baking dish or tray with baking paper. Arrange the zucchini “boats” and fill them evenly with the mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes. Adjust time and temperature to your oven.
Step 6
The “boats” need sails. Make them from fresh cucumber. Wash it and trim the ends. Slice into thin rectangular pieces (with a very sharp knife or a vegetable peeler). Use a toothpick to shape each cucumber slice into a sail.
Step 7
Insert the toothpicks with cucumber sails into the hot, ready zucchini boats and serve immediately. Enjoy!
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