HEAVENLY RECIPES

Stephanie makes Italian Zucchini

Boats

This month’s Heavenly Recipe, Italian Zucchini Boats, comes from Berwick native, Stephanie Stanley, who has worked for the diocese in various roles for almost 20 years. Stephanie worked in the church office at Holy Cross for 10 years, taught at Central Catholic for 3 years, and is currently starting her 4th year in the office at Central Catholic Elementary. Stephanie is married to Casey Stanley, and they have a 10-year-old son named Reid.

Stephanie’s connection to Central Catholic goes far beyond her years as a student and employee there. Her husband, Casey, who is the Voya representative for the diocese, also graduated from Central as well as her parents and several aunts and uncles. Reid is going into 5th grade at Central Catholic, and her grandmother attended school at Sacred Heart in Morgan City when it was open.

The Stanley’s are parishioners at Holy Cross, and Stephanie loves just how close-knit her community is. She enjoys seeing people that she went to school with start families and send their kids to Central Catholic like they did. She says, “Reid has a lot of kids in his class whose parents and I went to school together.”

Stephanie comes from a big Italian family that loves to get together and cook things like fig cookies and stuffed artichokes. She says, “Italian food can be heavy with plenty of carbs so a lot of times I like to make a healthier version.” Her Italian Zucchini Boats are just that.

Stephanie says her Italian Zucchini Boats are the perfect weekday meal because they are easy to make and reheat, making them something you can prepare after a long day at work or before a busy week. She also says it’s a great recipe to get the kids involved with and she lets Reid scoop out the zucchini.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb ground beef, chicken, or turkey

3-4 large zucchinis, washed

2 cups marinara or pasta sauce

3 cups freshly shredded mozzarella

1 cup shredded parmesan salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground chicken until no longer pink. Drain any excess fat/juices. Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.

Mix in about 2 cups of tomato sauce with the chicken and turn the heat to low so it can simmer and absorb the sauce for a bit. Your sauce should be thick and not runny.

While the chicken and sauce are simmering, cut the zucchinis in half lengthwise. I like to leave the stems on to help moving them to the baking dish and serving plate. Use a spoon to remove the zucchini center and then chop the zucchini center into small pieces. Season the hollow zucchini boats with salt, pepper, garlic powder & onion powder. Optional - put 1 cup of the chopped zucchini in the meat mixture or save for another dish.

Mix in 2 cups of shredded mozzarella and 1/2 cup of parmesan to the chicken and sauce mixture; stir until melted.

Spoon the mixture onto your zucchini boats, and then sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan over top.

Bake uncovered on the center rack for 30 minutes, and then switch your oven to broil for a few minutes to brown the cheese.

Serve hot and enjoy

A FAMILY’S JOURNEY TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH