Chicken Lasagna Zucchini Boats

How often have you found yourself struggling for ideas on what to make for dinner?  I know my husband and I aren't the only ones.  We're constantly trying to think of different meals that we can make for our family.....especially healthier meals.

Late 2015 I started changing how I eat by following a keto-adapted diet.  I won't get into all of that in this post, but choosing to lead a low-carb high-fat lifestyle has helped me make better meals for my family (and I've lost over 100 lbs.....I'll share how I did it in another post - promise).  While I'm all in and committed to this new way of eating, not everyone in my house is and that's okay.  I'd love if they could all be on board and hopefully they'll get there, but for now....baby steps.

In trying to merge our traditional weeknight meals that we love with meals that fit into my diet, I've had to adjust meal planning just a bit.  We make meals based around what I can eat....and the kids (and sometimes my hubby) get to have a side dish that I most likely won't eat....like rice, potatoes, bread, etc.  That's the easy part, because I can eat a lot of different foods....which is awesome and I'm not deprived....the trick is being able to mix it up.  Like, well, what if we want Chinese?  We can have Stir Fried Beef with veggies.....no rice for me.  What about Spaghetti....I can make regular pasta for the rest of the family and I'll roast a spaghetti squash and top it with meat sauce.  Everyone wins.  Traditional meals that we love, but I have the option of choosing food that is healthier.

One of my go to meals now when we're trying to figure out what to make for dinner is zucchini boats.  I love making them because you can pretty much add different fillings to them and they're perfect for a keto lifestyle.  Plus, my kids really like them....which is another huge win.

I first heard of zucchini boats after watching one of those fun quick minute meal videos you see on Facebook.  The video showed in several steps how to make pepperoni 'pizza' zucchini boats.  This girl loves pizza - but it's obviously not low-carb....but here was an option to get the flavors of pizza and it is keto-friendly.  I was instantly hooked.  Once I realized how versatile zucchini boats were, it became one of my go to meals for dinner.  We can make cheese steak zucchini boats, crab-filled zucchini boats, taco style zucchini boats.....the list goes on.  They're also great for adding to your meal planning menu.

You can prep these ahead of time by having your meat seasoned and pre-cooked, veggies cut up  and sauce on hand in your pantry.  I used the new Homestyle Ragu sauce for the recipe I'm sharing today.  I love that it tastes homemade, doesn't have high fructose corn syrup (a keto no-no), no artificial ingredients.....and the sauce itself is nice and thick!  I am telling you....I'm a sauce snob....I either make it myself or buy a basic sauce and add extra seasoning to it, but this sauce doesn't need anything extra at all!  It's definitely going to be a staple in our pantry.  Head over to their site and check out some of their delicious recipes!

Making the actual boats is fairly easy.  You just slice them lengthwise, hollow out the center with a scoop (save the scooped out flesh because you will add it to your mixture), then you fill the boats with a cheese mixture just like you would for lasagna!

I always like to try something new each time I make them.  I thought of adding bacon, but since this is an Italian style meal, I added pancetta!  YUUUUMMM!!!  After rendering down the pork, I added a bit of olive oil and seasoned a few pieces of chicken with a bit of salt and pepper....it doesn't need much because cooking the chicken in the same pan the pancetta is cooked in will pick up those flavors.....double YUUUUUMMMM!  Once the chicken is cooked, I add in the scooped out bits from the zucchini, added the Homestyle Ragu sauce and let it cook until warmed through.

The next steps are easy, you just top the filled boats with the meat and sauce mixture, top with mozzarella cheese and bake in a covered dish for about 25 minutes.

I like  to always add a little extra cheese when I'm baking dishes like this.  So, I tend to go back in and add a bit more cheese and let it cook uncovered for about 5 more minutes.

When the zucchini is ready, you can serve it with a simple side salad.  If your family prefers pasta, a small serving of penne or cavatappi would work great with this as a meal, as well.

I'll definitely be creating more dishes like this and making more family traditions with RAGÚ® Here's my recipe for delicious chicken lasagna zucchini boats!  

PRINT THIS RECIPE

PRINT THIS RECIPE

Learn more about RAGÚ® Homestyle Sauces and discover more recipes for the family here 

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Cost Saving and Easy Meal Planning with Prep Dish

Since changing my way of eating to Low Carb-High Fat (LCHF), I am loving meal planning lately and what help me stay on track best is having easy recipes and grocery lists to choose from. I had a chance to sample and review a weekly meal plan subscription with PrepDish.com for free for the next 3 months.  BTW - I have a special offer for my readers (scroll down if ya can't wait!)


PrepDish.com is a weekly online subscription service created by Registered Dietician and personal celebrity chef Allison Schaff.  With that kind of experience under her belt, I'd say this lady MUST know what she's talking about.
 Watch Allison's Introductory Video
After you sign up, you will get your plan via email.  Included is a Gluten-free and Paleo meal plan that you can choose from.  I'm not eating specifically for these type of diets, but they are in-line with my current way of eating, so, I don't feel that I'm missing out on anything from trying trying the recipes.  I can also add in the ingredients that I want to adapt to my Low-Carb/High Fat lifestyle.
I had some time this week to get started on trying out some of the recipes, review the meal plans and I must say I was very excited.  There were so many different options for food and veggies I knew that I wouldn't be bored right away with trying everything.  Because I already did my shopping for the week, I didn't use the grocery list this time, but it was clear that I could find any of the items on the list in my grocery store and gathered I wouldn't spend more than about $120 for everything.  


One of the dishes I made that I just LOVED was a delicious marinated salmon with curried cauliflower & eggplant.  Now, I am not a fan of eggplant, unless it's covered in cheese....and I'm not a fan of cheese stuff with my salmon....like ever.  So, I opted to not use the Eggplant and just settled on having the cauliflower as my side dish.  PS....I never knew how delicious cauliflower could be until I started creating different recipes with it.  If you don't love cauliflower, just Google some of the recipes that are out there.....it's really yummy.  I digress.....the Prep Dish recipes are so easy to follow and very tasty, prep time takes about 2 hours for a week's worth of meals and most of the ingredients can be found just about anywhere.  


I do have a separate LCHF meal plan that I'm currently following so, I am not sure how long I will continue the subscription after the free trial ends,  but I do highly recommend it to anyone looking to eat healthier and wants to save time and money on grocery shopping.
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PrepDish is great because it saves time and money, the food is pretty darn tasty, everything is healthy, and we can feed our family delicious and healthy real food meals.  The plan is really designed for those looking to eat healthier - and shouldn't we all be working towards that goal?  I mean, donuts are super yummy,  but in moderation of course.  If you're following the Whole30 or even Paleo eating plan, this online service is perfect!