We all know how productive courgettes can be, and after giving your 12th one to a neighbour, you will need to devise a creative way to use them.
So here is one of my favourite courgette/Zucchini recipes, boats.
The recipe is simple enough and a great way to use up some spare courgettes.
Ingredients
- Cooked Chicken – 150g/5oz per large courgette
- Ranch Sauce – 1/2 cup per large courgette
- Mozzarella – 1 cup per large courgette
- Pancetta – To Sprinkle
Cooking Instructions

Start by cutting your courgettes in half, straight down the middle.

You then want to scoop out the insides, leaving you with a hollow boat.
I find a regular spoon works really well here – no need to get fancy.

Here what they should look like once all the seeds and gubbins has been cleared out.

Nothing is to be wasted, these scraps are perfect to add to the compost heap!

Now add your chicken, ranch sauce, and half of the cheese to a large mixing bowl.

Give it a really good mix together, and then begin to spoon it into your courgette halves.

Heres what mine were looking like, very tasty!

Now take the remaining half of your cheese and sprinkle it on the top.
This is what will crisp up in the oven and give you that lovely crunchy cheese texture.

I like to add a little pancetta or bacon here, but this isn’t a requirement.

Pop it in the oven at 200 Celcius / 400 Fahrenheit for around 20-12 minutes.

And that’s all there is to it.
These courgette boats make a delicious meal all on their own, and they are incredibly simple to make, enjoy!
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Edna Moir
Thursday 21st of September 2023
I don't understand the timing. 20- 12 minutes? Is it 19 to 12 or 20 to 22 minutes
Michelle
Tuesday 25th of July 2023
Daniel,
You only really need to remove the seeds, not all the flesh (AKA gubbins 😂).
Love anything like this, you can use leftovers, chicken, continental sausages (such as Kabbanos, Wiejska, Kielbasa, Chorizo), continental ham.
For a lower fat version you can substitute half of the ranch dressing with yogurt.
Add some roughly chopped, fresh herbs (e.g. basil, chives, chervil, coriander, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, tarragon, etc) or spices (e.g. cayenne, ground coriander, cumin, black pepper, mustard, ground nutmeg, paprika, turmeric etc)from your garden too.
A little sprinkle of panko breadcrumbs on top will add to the texture of the topping.
Of course, if you forget to harvest your courgettes and they turn to marrows, (as mine could end up with me being in hospital) just cook a little longer! 😉😂
Bon appetit! 😋
Daniel
Monday 31st of July 2023
Thank you Michelle, Sounds delicious, think I will have to try your version!