Zucchini "Crab"-Stuffed Zucchini

Yes, I realize the title of this recipe is quite awkward.  You can come up with a better name, if you prefer.  No matter what you decide to call this, you should eat it.  Super yummy, and a nice presentation, too.

As you may have heard, my garden is completely out of control this year.  I don't know what I did (just my usual organic vegetable food), but I cannot keep my zucchini plants from prolifically producing the largest zucchini I have ever seen.  We have eaten several, traded others for other yummy things (oranges, lemons, and I hear there are some apples coming our way), made one into brownies (yes, brownies), canned 7 quarts of zucchini & tomatoes...and they still just keep coming.

At this time, after using 1 1/2 large zucchini for tonight's dinner, I still have 4 sitting around waiting to be used, and more growing in the garden.  Sometimes, if I listen carefully, I think I hear a faint, "Feed me, Seymour!" from the general direction of the garden.

Because we are eating TONS of zucchini, I am looking for new and interesting ways to prepare it.  I know we like zucchini "crab cakes" (just replace the crab in your favourite recipe with shredded zucchini ~ yum!), and I plan to make and freeze a bunch of those, but I had one giant zucchini just begging to be stuffed.  Usually, I would do an Italian-inspired stuffed zucchini, but, tonight, I wanted to try something different.

After zipping around on the internet, I decided to combine what I knew from making zucchini crab cakes, inspiration from Crab Imperial recipes I had perused, and my previous zucchini-stuffing experience.  Here's what I did:

1 very large zucchini, halved lengthwise, seeds scooped out and discarded

Old Bay Seasoning

Smoked paprika

2 cups shredded zucchini, firmly packed

1/2 c. mayonnaise (or vegennaise) 

1 TBS lemon juice

1 tsp. Bragg's Liquid Aminos

1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning

1/8 tsp. cayennne pepper

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1/2-1 tsp. wet mustard

1/2 c. panko (or other breadcrumbs)

1-2 TBS melted margarine

2 eggs, beaten (or equivalent egg-replacer)

Heat oven to 400℉.  Grease a 9x13" pan with olive oil.  Place halved zucchini, cut side up, in prepared pan.  Sprinkle lightly with Old Bay Seasoning and smoked paprika.  

In a bowl, mix all other ingredients, except eggs.  Taste, and adjust seasonings.  Gently fold in eggs.  

Spoon mixture into prepared zucchini "shells," cover pan with foil and bake for about 30-40 minutes, until shell is looking kind of cooked, and filling is set.  Remove foil and bake for 10 minutes more, or until lightly golden brown.

Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving.  

And here's how beautifully it turned out: 

For the record, it tastes even better than it looks.  Oh, my goodness.  So, so good.  I could eat this all night!

Made some homemade mac & cheese on the side for the cheese-eaters, and some broccoli slaw for the slaw-eaters.  

Holy cow.  I am still wallowing in zucchini-eating bliss.