Meatloaf-Stuffed Zucchini Is The Perfect Quick And Balanced Dinner

It's almost impossible to make a meatloaf without ending up with leftovers. Unless you search for recipes for just one or two portions, most batches of meatloaf are made with at least a pound of ground beef. When you add in any vegetables, eggs, breadcrumbs, or other binding ingredients, the loaf can get pretty large. Next time you make meatloaf, don't let your leftovers linger in the refrigerator until they're thrown away. All you need to make meatloaf into a new dinner is a zucchini or two. Just hollow out the squash, chop up the leftover meatloaf, and stuff it inside. If you've got leftover gravy, you can pour it on top; if not, go for some grated cheese. You'll get a perfectly balanced dinner and zero food waste, and it's a fun way to give your carefully crafted meatloaf a new life.

Meatloaf-stuffed zucchini requires almost no prep time since you already did most of the work making the loaf itself. To make it, you only need one or two extra ingredients. Zucchini stuffed with meatloaf is also perfect for packing lunches because it stores well overnight in a container or lunch box. You don't even need any major cooking skills or tools, just a spoon for scraping out the squash and a knife for cutting the meat.

When it comes to stuffed veggies, bell peppers seem to take up all the limelight, but zucchini is just as capable as the mighty bell. These green, tubular-shaped vegetables are available all year round at most grocery stores, and they're usually reasonably priced since they're easy to grow.

If you have a few slices of leftover meatloaf and a couple of zuchs, slice the veggies in half lengthways and use a sturdy metal spoon to scoop out the seeds and make some space. It should look a bit like an edible zucchini boat. If you want your stuffed zucchini to stand upright on a plate, you can use a sharp knife to cut a thin, flat strip off of the bottom of each piece (on the skin side), which will stabilize your squash for stuffing and serving.

Once your zucchini halves are prepped, sprinkle a little salt and pepper into the squash, arrange them on a sheet pan or in a casserole dish, and fill them with chopped meatloaf. That's all there is to it. If you want to top them with extra ingredients before you bake them, that's optional. But if your meatloaf is seasoned properly and tastes good, your stuffed zucchini will taste great as it is.

If you've got a little extra time for meal prepping while you're making meatloaf-stuffed zucchinis, some extra ingredients can make a good thing taste even better. One of the easiest additions is a handful of shredded cheese right from the bag if you have some on hand. Cheddar will taste great with the ground beef — like a cheeseburger. But you can experiment with whatever's hanging around in the deli drawer, including American, muenster, and Swiss. Anything else you like on a cheeseburger is also fair game, like sauteed onions, mushrooms, and even bacon.

A sauce is also a nice addition to the dish. Try topping your zucchini with a few spoonfuls of spaghetti or marinara sauce and then a handful of mozzarella cheese. Alternatively, if you have gravy left over with your meatloaf, slather a little of that on top. Breadcrumbs are also a nice addition to a meatloaf-stuffed zucchini, especially panko, the breadcrumb of choice for a satisfying crunch. For that matter, you can also add crushed crackers, croutons, or even potato chips.

Keep experimenting whenever you make meatloaf to come up with the perfect stuffed combination. And remember, whenever you're at the grocery store for meatloaf supplies, grab a few zucchinis for tomorrow's leftovers.