Grab some zucchini from the garden or store and turn it into a healthier version of an Italian restaurant favorite. Chicken Parmesan stuffed zucchini is quick and delicious meal that also fits in a few extra vegetables.

Mathlete’s absolute favorite dish from an Italian restaurant is chicken Parmesan. When we were dating, he would offer to make it for me which has become a bit of joke between us since his version is MUCH different than what you get from a restaurant. I’ll just say that it involves a microwave and frozen chicken patties.

With our busy schedule, I rarely have time to make the actual dish so I use it as inspiration for other recipes that I know I can make quickly like my chicken Parmesan muffins or chicken Parmesan burger. Recently, our newest favorite are chicken Parmesan zucchini boats.

Of course, a chicken Parmesan recipe is only as good as the sauce used in it. I try to make my own sauce to use in recipes like this but, I have a few store brands I turn to as well when I just don’t have the time to whip up a batch of homemade marinara sauce.

What are some good store bought marinara sauce options?

I prefer to go with sauces that have minimal “extra” ingredients to that the true ingredients really shine through. Here are a few of my favorite store bought pasta sauces:

• Raos Marinara Sauce
• La San Marzano Tomato Basil Sauce
• Victoria All Natural Marinara

For this recipe, I use ground chicken because I wanted an option that will cook quickly. You could also use chopped chicken breast as well when making the chicken portion of the recipe.

I add extra Italian seasoning to the recipe even though the sauce typically would already be seasoned. This is purely optional but I think it adds the perfect amount of extra flavor to the dish.

Definitely make sure you use both the Parmesan and mozzarella cheese for this recipe. I sometimes sprinkle extra grated Parmesan on top after the stuffed zucchini are finished baking.

If you like this recipe for chicken Parmesan stuffed zucchini, be sure to try these other great zucchini recipes:

• Mexican Zucchini Lasagna
• Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini
• Zucchini Quinoa Salad
• Cheesy Baked Zucchini Casserole
• Tex-Mex Chicken and Zucchini

If you make these chicken Parmesan zucchini boats or any other recipe from the blog, I’d love to hear about your experience. Let me know in the comment section or snap a photo and tag it #MySuburbanKitchen on Instagram or Twitter.

Yield: 8 servings

Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Boats

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Chicken Parmesan stuffed zucchini gives you all the flavors of the traditional chicken Parmesan but in a lightened up and super easy recipe.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2-3 zucchini
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Slice zucchini in half lengthwise. Using a melon baller, remove the inside of each zucchini piece to create a "boat." Roughly chop the zucchini parts removed from the middle. Place into prepared casserole dish.
3. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 3-5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and chopped zucchini. Saute for 2-4 minutes or until fragrant. Remove from pan. 
4. Add ground chicken to pan and cook, stirring to crumble, until fully cooked. Stir in Italian seasoning and onion mixture. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup pasta sauce and 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan.
5. Spoon chicken mixture into zucchini boats. Spoon remaining pasta sauce on top. 
6. Top with remaining Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.