Mom’s Stuffed Zucchini – A Classic Polish Comfort Dish
Some recipes taste like childhood. For me, one of them is Stuffed Baked Zucchini – big zucchini stuffed with ground meat and rice, slowly baked until tender, then topped with melted cheese. It was one of my mom’s specialties – a humble, comforting dish that filled the kitchen with the smell of summer gardens and Sunday dinners.
In Poland, oversized zucchinis were never wasted. When the garden produced a monster zucchini that was too big for regular cooking, it became the star of this recipe.
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Ingredients:
- 1 large zucchini (the bigger, the better)
- 1 lb (450 g) ground meat (pork, beef, or a mix)
- ½ cup uncooked rice (cooked slightly al dente)
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ cup grated cheese (for topping)
- ½ cup water (for baking dish)
To serve:
- Tomato sauce or… ketchup, just like my childhood
Here is a short video on how I make it:
Instructions:
- Prepare the zucchini. Peel the zucchini and cut it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds, creating a “boat” shape.
- Prepare the filling. In a bowl, mix the ground meat with cooked rice, paprika, marjoram, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Stuff the zucchini. Fill the hollowed zucchini generously with the meat mixture.
- Bake. Place the zucchini in a baking dish, pour a little water (about ½ cup) into the bottom to create steam
- Bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 1.5 hours. After 1 hour sprinkle grated cheese on top, and continue baking uncovered for another 30 minutes.
- Serve hot. We love it with tomato sauce, but if there’s none on hand… ketchup works just as well:)
A Taste of Childhood
This dish takes me right back to my mom’s kitchen – simple, filling, and full of love. In summer, when giant zucchinis appeared in the garden, she knew exactly what to do. I still make it the same way, and every bite brings a little nostalgia.
If you try this recipe, serve it with a spoonful of tomato sauce and imagine a Polish summer evening, with the smell of stuffed baked zucchini filling the house.
Smacznego!
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Polish food recipes, sentimental Polish cuisine, only tried and true recipes, Polish American.
