Zucchini Roll Ups with Meat Sauce

Cheesy, rich, and lots of meat sauce, these zucchini roll ups are so satisfying. These would be the perfect dish for a Sunday night dinner or for any time you want to make a little extra something special. Gluten free, one pan, full of flavor, and so delicious!

I try really hard to not eat a lot of gluten. On that same note, I don't like to eat a lot of gluten free substitutes. Recipes like this one are perfect for people like me, who maybe want a lighter dish or who are trying to find that satisfying bite without so much gluten.

It is also that time of year where the garden is maybe overflowing with zucchini! This is a great way to use some up!

Details and Tips!

Zucchini has a lot of water in it, naturally. The first step of this recipe is to get as much water as possible out of the zucchini. To do so, you will lay the strips of zucchini on a wire rack with a baking sheet or paper towels under it. Then lightly sprinkle them with salt and the water will start to draw out. You only need to let them sit for 30 minutes or so. Then dab them off and you are good to go! You can certainly skip this step if you are short on time but the less water the better to ensure your meat sauce stays nice and thick!

To roll the zucchini up with the cheese mixture, you will just add a spoonful of the cheese mixture to one end of the zucchini and roll it up! Easy!

Gently nestle them in the prepared meat sauce, top with more cheese (of course), and bake! An option here is to place the zucchini roll ups in the pan prior to adding the meat sauce and then pour the meat sauce all over the top. But I am a one pan gal, so I just nestle them into the meat sauce, right in the pan I made the sauce in.

What you need!

• zucchini - try to find some on the larger size if you can!
• cottage cheese - you could substitute ricotta cheese here.
• parmesan cheese - shredded or grated is fine.
• egg
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• salt
• pepper
• jarred marinera sauce
• ground beef

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Customize!

You can change up the cheeses in the recipe to better fit your liking! I just find my favorite combination for something like this is cottage cheese with parmesan. You can add mozzarella for a little extra cheese pull too!

Any marinara or pasta sauce will work here. I try to look for options with no added sugars. But whatever your favorite is, is great! This recipe calls for two pounds of ground beef but if you want a more saucy sauce and less of a meat sauce, you can reduce that to one pound.

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Have fun with this recipe and let me know what you think in the comments!

Zucchini Roll Ups with Meat Sauce

Gluten free, full of flavor, and a one pot meal! These zucchini roll ups check all of the boxes when it comes to my favorite kinds of dishes.

• 4 large zucchini
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup parmesan cheese (grated or shredded)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 16 ounce jarred marinara sauce
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 onion (chopped)

Prepping the zucchini

1. Thinly slice the zucchini lengthwise, using a knife or a mandolin. You want them about 1/8th inch thick.

2. Sprinkle lightly with salt on both sides and place them in a single layer on a wire rack with a paper towel under it. Let sit for 30 minutes.

For the meat sauce

1. In an oven safe pan, brown the ground beef and chopped onion over medium high heat until there is no more pink to the beef and the onions are soft. Add in the marinara sauce and bring that to a simmer.

2. Let that continue to simmer while you assemble the zucchini roll ups.

For the zucchini roll ups

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a mixing bowl, add in the cottage cheese, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and half of the parmesan cheese. Mix everything together until completely combined.

3. Using a paper towel, gently dry off the zucchini.

4. Working with one zucchini slice at a time, add a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture onto one end of the zucchini, leaving a half inch boarder at the end. Gently roll up the zucchini, tucking in the cheese mixture as you go.

5. Repeat until all of the zucchini slices are rolled up with cheese.

6. Carefully place them in the meat sauce, standing tall with the cheese mixture facing up.

7. Top everything with the rest of the parmesan cheese.

8. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until everything is bubbly and the cheese is browned.

9. Enjoy!

Main Course

Italian

Gluten Free

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