Zucchini Ground Beef Bake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs zucchini, sliced and salted
• 1 medium size onion, diced
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 lb ground beef, preferably 85/15 blend
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 heaping cup marinara sauce
• a very tiny pinch of salt
• black pepper to taste
• 2 heaping tsp Italian herbs blend
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400°F/ 200°C.
2. Slice and salt the zucchinis and set aside for 30 mins.
3. Warm olive oil over medium high heat and saute onions for 3-4 mins, until a bit softened.
4. Add mushrooms and saute until the liquid has almost evaporated, then season and remove from the pan.
5. In the same pan, cook the beef until it turns brown and it’s no longer pink, season and take it off the heat.
6. Rinse and pat dry the zucchinis (try to dry them as much as possible without crushing the zucchini slices).
7. Assembly: combine mushroom mixture, ground beef, zucchini, marinara, a cup of cheese, Italian herbs blend, a pinch of salt if needed and black pepper then toss to combine.
8. Spread the mixture evenly in a 9 by 13 inch baking dish and top with Parmesan.
9. Bake for 30 mins.
10. Then top with remaining mozzarella and return to the oven until the cheese has melted, broil briefly if you want a golden top.