Zucchini Slippers

Ingredients

• 6 zucchini, ends trimmed
• 4 ounces cottage cheese, drained
• 4 ounces shredded Colby cheese
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 6 sprigs fresh parsley

Directions

Place zucchini into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove zucchini from water and cut in half lengthwise; cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.

Scoop the flesh from each zucchini half, leaving a narrow margin of flesh on the skin to form a shell. Invert each shell (or “slipper”) onto a paper towel to drain, reserving scooped flesh.

Chop scooped zucchini flesh and mix with cottage cheese, Colby cheese, red bell pepper, egg, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, salt, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl until filling is evenly mixed. Spoon filling into the “slippers”. Arrange “slippers” on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven until filling is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Turn oven's broiler on and broil until cheese is browned if desired, 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley sprigs.