Creamy and rich, yet light and delicious, these Spinach and Feta Keto Zucchini Boats are keto-friendly, vegetarian-friendly and make the perfect, addition to your weeknight dinners!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Keto Stuffed Zucchini Boats Recipe
- Tools You'll Need
- Ingredients
- Substitutions
- How to Make Spinach and Feta Keto Zucchini Boats
- Prep Ahead Options
- Serving Suggestions for Spinach and Feta Keto Zucchini Boats
- FAQs
- Tips and Tricks for Success
- More Recipes You'll Enjoy
- Spinach and Feta Keto Zucchini Boats
Why You'll Love This Keto Stuffed Zucchini Boats Recipe
- Easy to make and a great prep ahead option! This keto stuffed zucchini recipe comes together super quickly. It is a great option for when you want to get dinner on the table fast! This recipe is not only super easy to make, but it can easily be made ahead, too! It is a great choice for people who like to meal prep.
- Budget friendly! Zucchini is generally an affordable vegetable. The remaining ingredients in this recipe will also not break the bank, making this the perfect dish for anyone who is on a tight budget.
- Low carb! Spinach and feta zucchini boats are low carb, making them a perfect recipe for the New Year. Not only are they super easy to make, but they will help you stick to a lower carb lifestyle.
- They are vegetarian. If you're trying to reduce your meat consumption, then these vegetarian zucchini boats are the perfect choice for you!
Tools You'll Need
- 1 baking sheet
- 1 spoon
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 saute pan
- 1 whisk
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 set of measuring spoons
- 1 set of dry measuring cups
Ingredients
Zucchini is often abundant when it is in season, but it is also easy to find when it is out of season. It is also an affordable vegetable!
Spinach is rich in iron, calcium, and magnesium, making it a healthy choice for this recipe!
Add egg to this mixture with ricotta, feta, and mozzarella cheeses to help hold all the ingredients together.
Substitutions
- Zucchini substitutions: If you prefer to use another squash instead of zucchini, you can use yellow squash or even spaghetti squash. For yellow squash, the directions are the same as the zucchini. If you decide to use spaghetti squash for this recipe, cut the squash in half, remove the seeds, and place it on a medium sheet pan. Drizzle with oil, salt and pepper, and roast at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes. You will also want to double the mixture ingredients to stuff into the spaghetti squash.
- Spinach substitutions: In this Spinach and Feta Keto Zucchini Boats, kale or swiss chard makes a great substitution for spinach. You may need to cook both of these for an extra minute or two.
- Make it egg free! If you cannot eat eggs, you may substitute 2 tablespoons of flax meal for the eggs.
- Add some protein. If you would like, add about 1-1½ cups shredded chicken breast to the mixture.
How to Make Spinach and Feta Keto Zucchini Boats
- Prepare the zucchini. Begin by cutting the zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and insides of the zucchini until there is about ¼ inch of the flesh of the zucchini left.
- Bake the zucchini. Line the scooped zucchini halves onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with avocado oil, salt, and pepper. Place in a 400 degree oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until they just begin to become tender.
- Cook the spinach. Place avocado oil in a saute pan and add the spinach. Cook spinach until it is slightly wilted and tender. Remove from the heat.
- Strain excess liquid from the spinach. Once the spinach has been cooked, place in a clean dish cloth or cheesecloth. Squeeze out the excess liquid into a small bowl.
- Make the filling. Whisk together the cheeses, eggs, seasonings, and spinach in a medium mixing bowl until well combined.
- Fill and bake the zucchini. Divide the mixture evenly among the zucchini. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the mixture is set and slightly brown. Remove from the oven and serve!
Prep Ahead Options
- Bake zucchini and mix filling ahead of time. Want to save some time? You can bake the zucchini ahead of time, so it's ready to be filled when you're ready to bake. The filling can also be prepared ahead of time. It will be ready in 15 minutes!
- Meal prep the entire recipe and reheat. These zucchini boats can be made entirely ahead of time and simply reheated before serving! To reheat, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the stuffed zucchini boats on a baking sheet, and place in the oven. Heat for about 10 minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestions for Spinach and Feta Keto Zucchini Boats
These zucchini boats are a healthy side dish, but if you want to add more protein and a carbohydrate to your dinner, serve along with my Dutch Oven Pot Roast with Butternut Squash or for something kid-friendly, serve along with my Cornmeal Crusted Chicken Tenders.
Since these Spinach and Feta Stuffed Zucchini Boats are a great side dish to go along with a hearty salad, like this delicious Kale and Quinoa Salad!
FAQs
What if I cannot find zucchini?
Sometimes, during the colder months, zucchini may be a bit harder to find. In this case, I suggest using either yellow squash or spaghetti squash. If you use spaghetti squash, follow my instructions under the recipe substitutions section of this post.
What if I can only find very small or very large zucchinis?
If small zucchinis are the only option, simply use more of them. You may need to use 8 small zucchinis instead of 4 medium. On the contrary, if you can only find very large zucchinis, which is sometimes the case in the summer months, when zucchini is in season, then you may only need 2 large zucchinis. If this is the case, I recommend cutting them in half crosswise before cutting in half lengthwise.
Tips and Tricks for Success
- Do not scrape too much of the flesh out of the zucchini. Scooping too much of the flesh from the zucchini will cause it there to be too much space to fill, and you may run out of filling before you have filled all the zucchini halves.
- Be sure to follow the instructions for the first bake of the zucchini halves. If you underbake the zucchini in the first bake, the mixture will become brown before the zucchini is tender.
More Recipes You'll Enjoy
Spinach and Feta Keto Zucchini Boats
Spinach and Feta Keto Zucchini Boats are a great, make-ahead friendly, option for a super simple vegetarian dinner!
Equipment
- 1 Large baking sheet
- 1 spoon for scooping
- 1 Chef's knife
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- 1 Saute pan
- 1 Medium mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 4 each medium zucchinis
- 10 ounces baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon avocado or grapeseed oil plus more for drizzling
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese (about 8 ounces)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)
- 1 cup feta cheese (about 6 ounces)
- 2 each eggs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon coarse Kosher salt plus more for sprinkling
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- Dash nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice zucchini in half lengthwise. Place on a large baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until crisp-tender.
- Meanwhile, heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach, and cook until just wilted. Remove from heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Using a dish towel, squeeze excess water out of spinach.
- While the zucchini bakes, stir together ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, eggs, garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Once excess moistures has been squeezed out of the spinach, stir it into cheese mixture.
- Divide cheese mixture evenly among zucchini boats, and bake for another 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and serve with a side salad or protein of your choice.
Notes
- If you want to serve this as an appetizer, follow the same method, but cut your zucchini into 3 pieces.
- For less salt in the mixture, use 4 ounces of feta cheese instead of 6 ounces.
Nutrition
Calories: 342kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 21gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 89mgSodium: 1003mgPotassium: 520mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 7273IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 526mgIron: 3mg
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