Macaroni and Cheese-Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Oh boy.  There's a lot to love about these babies.  Creamy, cheesy, mac and cheese baked inside tender, sweet zucchini?  Yeah, sign me right up.

Just because there's half a zucchini in every serving, I'm not fooling myself (or you guys) into thinking this is healthy.  BUT.  It is built in portion control.  And there's a serving of veggies along with your carbs and cheese.  Thus, it's not the most indulgent calorie bomb in the world, but rather a nice treat that you don't have to feel super totally guilty about enjoying.  Really you can use any mac and cheese recipe you'd like; I'm just sharing what I did this time… but feel free to mix it up or add some extras!  Bacon would be great, as would tomatoes, shredded zucchini, chicken, or an infinite number of cheeses as well.

My kids are mac and cheese aficionados… er, addicts.  So I fully expected them to just scoop out the mac and cheese and leave the zucchini, but surprisingly, they ate up the zucchini as well!  I've made countless variations of stuffed zucchini - sausage and cheese, chili, enchiladas, etc.  The mac and cheese was a new one for me, but it's definitely going into my rotation.  Do you have zucchini coming out of your ears these days?  If so, stuff it with some mac and cheese!

Macaroni and Cheese-Stuffed Zucchini Boats
inspired by Melt, by Stephanie Stiavetti & Garrett McCord

• 3-4 medium zucchini (about 3 lbs)
• olive oil, for brushing
• 5 oz elbow macaroni or other small pasta shape
• 1 Tbs butter
• 1 shallot, finely minced
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard powder
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbs flour
• 1 cup milk or half-and-half
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 oz Swiss or Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 3 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Halve each zucchini lengthwise, and use a large spoon of scrape out the seeds and filling, leaving a thin border on all sides.  Brush the inside lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Arrange in a single layer, cut side-down, on a baking sheet or 9x13 inch baking dish.  Cook 5 to 7 minutes, and remove from the oven.

Decrease the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, about 8 to 9 minutes (or according to the package instructions).

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the garlic, shallot, mustard powder, and cayenne pepper and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.  Add the flour and cook, again, stirring constantly, until the flour is golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes.  Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly.  Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, and cook until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 4 minutes.  

Remove from heat and stir in the cheese, one handful at a time, until it's melted and the sauce is smooth.    Reserve about 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese for topping.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir in the cooked pasta.

Using a large spoon, fill each zucchini boat with the macaroni and cheese, and arrange the boats in a single layer in a 9x13 inch baking dish.  Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top.  

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the mac and cheese is bubbly and the zucchini is tender and cooked through.  Serve.