Culinary expert Colleen Miner shares tips for making easy and delicious stuffed vegetables.
- Any vegetable that has a pocket or can be hollowed out can be stuffed.
- Cook vegetables for 10 minutes at 350 degrees before stuffing. Be sure to remove any juices from the vegetables before adding the filling.
- After stuffing vegetables, return them to the oven for 10 minutes to warm them.
- When stuffing yellow squash, run a spoon down the center of the squash to remove seeds before stuffing.
- Stuffed eggplant is delicious. Cut an eggplant in half, scoop out the meaty center and sprinkle the inside with salt to draw out excess moisture. Set eggplant aside in a colander to drain, with the hollowed-out sections facing down, for about 30 minutes. After stuffing the eggplant, cook it in a 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes.
- Tomatoes can be stuffed in a couple of different ways. Mix one cup of ricotta cheese and one cup of grated Swiss cheese with a package of frozen spinach that has been thawed and drained. Stuff tomatoes and heat in a 350-degree over for about 20 minutes or until the ingredients are thoroughly warmed.
- Another good stuffing for a tomato that's also very simple involves bread cubes. Take about one cup of day-old bread, cut into small cubes, and mix with one teaspoon basil and two tablespoons of olive oil. Fill the tomatoes and bake at 350 degrees until warmed through.
- Try this zesty Italian-flavored stuffing recipe in a variety of vegetables.
Pizza Stuffing for Vegetables
Ingredients:
10-oz. Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup commercial pasta sauce
1 cup grated mozzarella
Preparation:
Saute the sausage until lightly browned and crumbled. Drain off any excess oil and add the chopped onions and peppers. Continue to cook for one minute more until they have softened. Add the sauce and cheese, mix well, then spoon into vegetables.
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