Stuffed Cue Ball Zucchini – Instant Pot

These stuffed cue ball zucchini are a family favorite. They are easy to prepare in your instant pot which makes them a great summer meal.

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One of the things that Carey and I have in common is visiting our local farmer’s market each week. These cue ball zucchini are popular in her area. I don’t typically see them here in Illinois but have done this with zucchini boats.

Do you visit your local farmer’s market regularly?

 

What is an Instant Pot

An Instant Pot is an electric pressure cooker. Depending on your needs you can get a 3 qt mini, a 6qt or an 8qt model.

Personally I have a 6qt Instant Pot Duo and a 3 qt Instant Pot Duo. Each of these appliances gets used regularly in our home based on the size of my recipe.

I will say that I love using my 3 qt pot for many of our meals as I mostly cook for 2.

Some of the Benefits of owning an Instant Pot are:

• • Meals cook in  a much shorter period of time
  • Hard Cooked Eggs peel like a dream, check out my post about eggs here.
  • Cooking in an Instant Pot doesn’t heat up your kitchen
  • It only requires cleaning 1 pot (most of the time)

Putting Your Instant Pot To Work

In the summer months many of us struggle with cooking in the oven because it tens to heat up the kitchen. Why not put your Instant pot to work during those months to avoid that issue?

These stuffed cue ball zucchini are an easy go to meal that satisfies not only your taste buds but also add a sense of fun to your meal.

My Favorite Instant Pot Recipes

• • Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
  • Steamed Eggs vs Boiled Eggs
  • Simple Instant Pot Cheesecake
  • Chocolate Cheesecake
  • Sugarless Candied Lemon Peels

The Ingredients You Need for these Stuffed Cue Ball Zucchini 

• Cue ball zucchini squash (washed and hollowed out)ground beef, 95% lean (95% lean)
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Garlic powder
• Dried oregano
•  Onion (finely diced)
• Green pepper (finely diced) 
• Baby bella mushrooms (finely diced)
• Tomato (peeled, de-seeded and diced)
• Tomato paste
• water
• THM Himalayan High Mineral Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Parmesan cheese (grated)
• Part skim milk mozzarella cheese (grated)

The Tools You will Need

• An Instant Pot
• 10″ Skillet
• Something to stir with, I normally use a silicone or wooden spoon.
• Measuring Cups and Spoons

This is a great photo to show what size these cue ball zucchini are and how they fit into your Instant Pot.

Stuffed Cue Ball Zucchini Recipe

5 from 1 reviews

Stuffed Cue Ball Zucchini - Instant Pot

 

Author: Carey

Nutrition Information

• Serves: 3

• Serving size: 1 zucchini
• Calories: 326

• Fat: 15g
• Carbohydrates: 10g
• Sodium: 599mg
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 37g
• Cholesterol: 96mg

Recipe type: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  3 mins

Total time:  18 mins

Save Print

Savory and scrumptious these stuffed cue call zucchini are loved by all ages.

Ingredients

• 3 whole cue ball zucchini squash (washed and hollowed out)
• ¾ pound ground beef, 95% lean (95% lean)
• ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ cup onion (finely diced)
• ⅓ cup green pepper (finely diced)
• 4 ounces baby bella mushrooms (finely diced)
• 1 whole tomato (peeled, de-seeded and diced)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons water
• ¼ teaspoon THM Himalayan High Mineral Salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
• ½ cup part skim milk mozzarella cheese (grated)

Instructions

Prep:

1. Select 3 cue ball zucchini that are about the size of a soft ball. Wash and dry the cue ball zucchini. Carefully slice off the top, this will be about a ½-3/4 inch slice giving you enough room to scoop out the seeds and allow for the filling.
2. Once you have scooped out the seeds turn upside down on a clean kitchen towel along with squash tops.
3. Prepare and chop your onion, green pepper and baby bella mushrooms, set aside

Prep Instant Pot:

1. Place trivet in the stainless steel liner and add 1 cup of water.

Meat Filling:

1. In a large skillet of your choice (at least 10 inch) add your ground beef, garlic powder and crushed red pepper flakes; cook your ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Push ground beef to one side and add the chopped onion and green pepper, cook until the onion is almost translucent, stir into the beef pushing to one side. Add the chopped baby bella mushrooms and cook until softened.
2. Add diced tomato and stir both into the meat mixture, push to one side.
3. Then add your 2 tablespoons of tomato paste to the empty space in the skillet and toast for a minute or two to bring out the flavor.
4. Carefully stir add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water into the tomato paste to combine.
5. When combined stir into the meat mixture and remove from heat.
6. Stir in your Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.
7. Fill the prepared squash, packing the mixture inside each hollowed out squash.
8. Once filled attach the squash top using two tooth picks placed on opposite sides.
9. Position each squash on the trivet.
10. Set liner in the pot.
11. Close and lock lid, hit [Manual], adjust time to 3 minutes.
12. Once pot beeps release the pressure quickly (QPR).
13. Carefully open your pot with the inside of the lid pointed away from you.
14. Carefully lift filled squash out with a large spoon onto a serving platter.
15. Remove squash tops and garnish with additional cheese if desired.

3.5.3251

Thank you again to Carey for allowing me to post these recipes which were originally posted on The Healthy Milestone.