READY IN ABOUT 2 hrs

Mellas Family Lamb Stuffed Zucchini (Koosa)

Read Reviews (5)

"This recipe is a great way to use up that giant zucchini lurking in your garden. Early season squash are best as the skin is tender and the flesh is delicate. Older zucchini still taste great, you just may not be able to eat the skin. " — blancdeblanc

Directions

Cut each zucchini in half and use a thin, sharp knife to hollow out each section, removing the seeds and leaving a round 1/2 inch shell.
Combine tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, 3/4 cup water, and cinnamon in a large, oven-safe Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook until thick, about 20 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet. Stir in onion; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Combine cooked onion, lamb, rice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 cup water, dried mint, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well. Lightly stuff lamb mixture into hollowed out zucchini sections. Place stuffed zucchini in simmering tomato sauce.
Cover pot and place in preheated oven. Cook until the rice is soft, about 1 hour. If sauce is very thin, simmer on the stove top until desired consistency. To serve, slice into 1 inch rounds and top with tomato sauce.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 30 mins
COOK 1 hr 25 mins
READY IN 1 hr 55 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Oct 13, 2009

This is a great recipe, thank you for sharing it! I made it as written the first time and it was wonderful. The second time I decided to tweak the recipe to my tastes a bit more. Like the previous reviewer I omitted the salt (canned tomatoes typically have enough for my tastes) and used fresh mint. I cooked the tomato sauce as advised but added a bit of white wine and garlic. For the stuffing, rather than cook the meat and rice in the oven I added oil to the sauté pan with garlic, onion, and uncooked rice. This gives the rice a head start on cooking and a lot more flavor. I sautéed all until everything browned a bit and added the lamb which I sautéed until cooked. I used a slotted spoon to remove the mixture and stuff into the zucchini to reduce some of the grease. The final cook time for the stuffed zucchini was 30 minutes. My boyfriend indicated this was a “keeper” recipe.

—AZDewalt

See full review »

Sep 21, 2009

This took care of a monster zucchini someone gave me. I made 3 very minor changes. First, I eliminated the salt for dietary reasons and to my taste it wasn't missed. Second, I didn't realize I had no tomato paste until I was well into preparing this so I just cooked the sauce down to thicken it. Third, I used fresh mint instead of dried because I had it on hand. The cinnamon adds a lovely flavor and I think next time I will increase it slightly. Thanks for a tasty dish.

—BigShotsMom

See full review »

7 Ratings

See other versions of this recipe!

Aug 09, 2011

My Husband is Lebanese so I was a bit intimidated to try this recipe...how can I compete with his mother? well, I am happy to report that I passed with flying colors. here is what I customized: I added 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon; I used lean ground beef instead of lamb; i sauteed the onion, and then added the rice to the pan, to give a bit more flavor. I added a splash of white wine. i added fresh mint instead of dried, because it grows like weed in my garden. While it was cooking, the smell alone was enough to make us all salivate, and the end result was spectacular! comfort food at its best! thank you for the great recipe!!!

—Joseem44

See full review »

Aug 05, 2010

Wow!!!!! Not only was this dish fun to make, but it tasted amazing! The sauce surprised me! This meal is one that I will be making for a very long time. Thank you for sharing. SO GOOD!

—Namooofin

See full review »

Oct 06, 2011

Delicious! I added a little chevre on top after cooking, yum!

—Rochelleme

See full review »

Edit

Glad you liked it! Your friends will, too:

Did you tweak the recipe? Edit and save your own version of it!

Edit this recipe

More Recipes Like This See all

Stuffed Zucchini with Chicken Sausage

Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini

Easy Stuffed Zucchini

Eggplant Stuffed with Lamb and Feta

Mandy's Crab Stuffed Zucchini

Zucchini Stuffed Chicken

Nat's Shrimp and Veggie Stuffed Zucchini

Savory Stuffed Zucchini

Lamb and Rice Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Stuffed Zucchini

Nutrition

Calories
511 kcal
26%

Carbohydrates
44.8 g
14%

Cholesterol
76 mg
25%

Fat
26.6 g
41%

Fiber
5 g
20%

Protein
26.2 g
52%

Sodium
1593 mg
64%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Mellas Family Lamb Stuffed Zucchini (Koosa)

Serving Size: 1/4 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 511
Calories from Fat: 239

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 26.6g 41 %
Saturated Fat 8g 40 %
Cholesterol 76mg 25 %
** Sodium 1593mg 64 %
** Potassium 1185mg 33 %
Total Carbohydrates 44.8g 14 %
Dietary Fiber 5g 20 %
Protein 26.2g 52 %
** Sugars 9.4g
Vitamin A 15 %
Vitamin C 82 %
Calcium 16 %
Iron 51 %
** Thiamin 30 %
** Niacin 93 %
** Vitamin B6 46 %
** Magnesium 28 %
** Folate 48 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.