Paleo Recipe – Meatloaf Zucchini Boats

This paleo recipe was inspired by my Aunt Nancy. And while she is spectacular at coming up with amazing paleo meals, I haven’t quite gotten her living a paleo just yet, but soon!

We recently lost my Uncle Chris to a very aggressive lymphoma. He was diagnosed and gone in 3 weeks. I miss him and will tell you more about him soon.

I have been swinging by the house a little more often to check on my Aunt and give her some of my garden vegetables that we have been fortunate enough to have coming out of our garden this year.

The zucchini has been growing out our ears – we have so much. So when I dropped off my last batch to her I mentioned that we literally did not know what else to make with the zucchini. And without a moment’s hesitation, she offered up this gem. What a wonderful lady!

Meatloaf Zucchini Boats

Ingredients:

 

• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 lb grass fed ground beef
• 1 clove garlic, chopped or pressed
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup (ish) grated parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• chopped parsley
• 2 slices bacon
• 1 sliced tomato
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine garlic, onion, parsley and egg with ground beef and mix well with hands.
3. Add the parmesan cheese a little at a time as you would breadcrumbs if not a paleo/primal recipe and mix until mixture is at meatloaf consistency (not too wet, not too dry). Set aside.
4. Cut off the ends of the zucchini and cut length wise down the center to make two long pieces.
5. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds of both sides.
6. Place the zucchini halves onto a foil lines cookie sheet.
7. Add meatloaf mixture to each zucchini boat.
8. Place 1 strip of bacon over the top of each boat.
9. Add sliced tomatoes to the top of each boat and season with more parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste.
10. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until meatloaf mix is cooked through and zucchini is tender.