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Kitchen Stewardship

Balancing God's Gifts…One Baby Step at a Time

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Recipe Connection: Sausage Zucchini Bake

August 12th, 2009 · 22 Comments · Do It Yourself, Kids in the Kitchen, frugality, recipes

img 7229 300x225 Recipe Connection:  Sausage Zucchini BakeIs everyone still drowning in zucchini out there?  If you’re looking for a low-carb (no-carb?), filled with veggies, use-up-your-zucchini meal that fills tummies and pleases tastebuds, you’re at the right post. This may well be our favorite summer meal, and I love it because it’s so healthy and easy to make.  I also have some great memories of my two-year-old son slicing zucchini with his cheese slicer that looks like a meat cleaver.  (See this post for a photo!)  Buddy Boy completely did the zucchini job himself two years ago.  …If only I could get him to help me in the kitchen like that now! (“Mom, can I go outside and play with my friends?”)

You’ll want to find a tasty sausage for this recipe, and use a spaghetti sauce that you know your family likes.  Those two ingredients are the star players and change the flavor dramatically.  We used some good pastured pork sausage this summer, but in the past I have used cheap ground turkey and made it into sausage like this.

Sausage Zucchini Bake

1 pound sausage, mild or spicy ($1-$3)
1 chopped onion ($0.30)
1 chopped green pepper ($0.33-$1)
1-3 cloves garlic, crushed ($0.20)
1-2 large zucchini, sliced (free-$0.60)
1 jar spaghetti sauce ($1)
1 Tbs fresh basil, chopped (a few cents)
1-2 Roma tomatoes, sliced (free-$0.75)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese ($1.50)
Parmesan cheese

Super Foods: 4, 5 if you use turkey
Cost: $5-8

Brown sausage. Saute onion, pepper and garlic (add last) with the meat
(in olive oil?  See this post for research!).

Pour a little spaghetti sauce in a 9×13 glass baking dish.  Layer 1-2 large sliced zucchinis on top.

img 7222 300x225 Recipe Connection:  Sausage Zucchini Bake

*Note:  If you want to make sure the zucchini gets soft, you can optionally parboil it for a few minutes before layering in the pan.  I skip that step because I hate making more dishes!

Mix the remaining spaghetti sauce in a large bowl with the sauteed meat and veggies and the fresh basil.

img 7224 300x225 Recipe Connection:  Sausage Zucchini BakePour overtop the zucchini.

Layer sliced tomatoes (they don’t have to be Romas, but those are prettier) on top, then cover with mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

img 7226 300x225 Recipe Connection:  Sausage Zucchini Bake

img 7227 300x225 Recipe Connection:  Sausage Zucchini BakeCover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15-30 minutes longer, until the cheese is browned and the sides are bubbling.  Since I’m learning so much about the dangers of aluminum, I chose to tent the aluminum foil so it didn’t really touch the cheese, like so:

img 7228 300x225 Recipe Connection:  Sausage Zucchini Bake

Next time I’m going to try a cookie sheet upside down over the baking dish.

I used so many slices of zucchini this time that it was really watery, so I don’t have a pretty picture of one piece of the meal on a plate.  But believe me, the taste was still there!  If yours seems too juicy, don’t despair.  Just eat and enjoy!

Challenge yourself to get as many ingredients as you can from your Farmer’s Market or your garden! Just another reason to love this dish.

Find the ultimate list of zucchini recipes at The Finer Things in Life.

It was a tough choice, but I chose this as my Favorite Recipe for Life as MOM’s Ultimate Recipe Swap today. There are so many good ones!

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If you missed the last Monday Mission, click here.

Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money.  If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.

Other Great Summer Recipes:

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