Growing up, zucchini wasn’t exactly my favorite veggie. Mom would boil it until it turned mushy, and I’d push it around my plate hoping it would disappear. It wasn’t until I started cooking for my own family that I discovered there were better ways to prepare it.
That’s when I stumbled upon zucchini boats in my crockpot, and it changed everything. These aren’t the sad, overcooked veggies from my childhood – they’re tender but still have a nice bite to them. Plus, the slow cooker does all the work, which means I can set it up in the morning and come home to dinner that’s ready to go.
Why You’ll Love These Zucchini Boats
- Low-carb friendly – These zucchini boats give you all the pizza flavors you crave while keeping things light and low-carb – perfect if you’re watching your carb intake.
- Just 4 ingredients – With only zucchini, sausage, pizza sauce, and cheese needed, this recipe keeps your shopping list short and sweet.
- Meal prep friendly – The slow cooker does all the work while you’re busy with other things, making this perfect for busy weekdays.
- Kid-approved vegetables – Even picky eaters tend to enjoy these boats since they taste like pizza – it’s a sneaky way to get more veggies into their diet.
What Kind of Zucchini Should I Use?
For zucchini boats, you’ll want to look for medium-sized zucchini that are about 6-8 inches long and 2-3 inches wide. These are perfect because they’re big enough to hold your filling but not so large that they become watery and mushy when cooked. Stay away from the super-sized zucchini you might find at the end of summer – while impressive looking, they tend to be seedy and less flavorful. When shopping, pick zucchini that feel firm and heavy for their size, with smooth, shiny dark green skin. If you’re planning to make this recipe, try to use your zucchini within 3-4 days of purchase for the best results.
Options for Substitutions
This easy crockpot recipe can be adapted with several substitutions to match your preferences or what you have in your kitchen:
- Sweet Italian sausage: You can swap the Italian sausage with ground turkey, ground beef, or even plant-based crumbles. If using turkey or beef, add 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning to mirror that classic sausage flavor. For a vegetarian version, mushrooms sautéed with Italian herbs make a tasty filling.
- Zucchini: Yellow summer squash works perfectly as a swap for zucchini. You could also try this with hollowed-out eggplant or bell peppers, though you might need to adjust the cooking time slightly.
- Pizza sauce: Regular marinara sauce works great here, or you can use plain tomato sauce with 1/2 teaspoon each of oregano and basil mixed in. In a pinch, even pasta sauce will do the job!
- Mozzarella cheese: Feel free to use other melting cheeses like provolone, Italian blend, or monterey jack. For a dairy-free version, dairy-free mozzarella-style shreds can work too.
Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking
The biggest challenge when making zucchini boats in a crockpot is dealing with excess moisture – zucchini releases a lot of water while cooking, which can make your dish watery, so be sure to salt the hollowed zucchini halves and let them sit for 10-15 minutes before patting dry with paper towels.
Another common mistake is overcooking the zucchini, which turns them mushy and unappetizing – even on low setting, these boats typically only need 2-3 hours to cook through while maintaining their shape and texture.
To prevent the cheese from becoming stringy or separating, wait until the last 15-20 minutes of cooking to add it on top, and if you’re using Italian sausage, make sure to brown it beforehand to enhance the flavor and ensure it’s fully cooked.
For the best results, arrange the boats in a single layer in your crockpot, and if you need to stack them, use small pieces of foil as dividers to prevent them from sticking together.
What to Serve With Zucchini Boats?
These cheesy, saucy zucchini boats make a great low-carb main dish that pairs really well with a few simple sides. I like to serve them with a big helping of garlic bread or crusty Italian bread to soak up any extra sauce that escapes the boats. A simple green salad with Italian dressing makes the meal feel complete, or you could go with some roasted bell peppers and onions for extra veggie goodness. If you’re feeding a bigger crowd, consider making some pasta on the side – the same pizza sauce you used in the boats works great tossed with spaghetti!
Storage Instructions
Keep Fresh: These tasty zucchini boats can hang out in your fridge for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container. They’re actually great for meal prep since you can make them ahead and enjoy them throughout the week for quick lunches or dinners.
Make Ahead: Want to prep these in advance? You can prepare the zucchini boats and stuff them up to 24 hours before cooking. Just keep them covered in the fridge until you’re ready to pop them in the crockpot. The cheese can be added during the last few minutes of cooking.
Warm Up: To enjoy leftover zucchini boats, simply microwave them for 1-2 minutes until heated through. You can also warm them up in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes if you prefer a slightly crispier texture. Just keep an eye on them so the cheese doesn’t get too brown!
| Preparation Time | 15-20 minutes |
| Cooking Time | 180-240 minutes |
| Total Time | 195-260 minutes |
| Level of Difficulty | Medium |
Estimated Nutrition
Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):
- Calories: 800-900
- Protein: 40-50 g
- Fat: 50-60 g
- Carbohydrates: 40-50 g
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound sweet italian sausage
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 cup pizza sauce from a jar (or homemade if you prefer)
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Step 1: Prepare the Italian Sausage Filling
In a medium-sized skillet over the stove-top, cook the Italian sausage by browning and crumbling it until there is no pink remaining.
Once thoroughly cooked, drain off any excess fat.
To ensure excess grease is removed, place the sausage on several layers of paper towels to allow it to drain further.
Step 2: Prepare the Zucchini Boats
Take fresh zucchini and cut each one in half lengthwise.
Use a spoon to carefully scoop out the seeds, creating a hollow center—these are your zucchini boats, ready to be filled with delicious ingredients.
Step 3: Assemble the Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Evenly divide the cooked Italian sausage and prepared pizza sauce among the hollowed-out zucchini halves, filling them to create your stuffed zucchini boats.
Step 4: Cook in the Slow Cooker
Carefully place the stuffed zucchini boats into the bottom of a 4-quart or larger slow cooker.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and set it to cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours.
This gentle cooking will allow the flavors to meld and the zucchini to become tender.
Step 5: Add Cheese and Finish Cooking
After the cooking time, turn off the slow cooker.
Sprinkle a generous amount of mozzarella cheese on top of each zucchini boat.
Recover the slow cooker and let the cheese melt, which should take around 10 to 15 minutes, using the residual heat inside the slow cooker.
Step 6: Serve and Enjoy
Once the cheese has melted to your satisfaction, carefully remove the zucchini boats from the slow cooker.
Serve warm and enjoy the delightful combination of flavors in this comforting and low-carb dish!