Sausage-Stuffed 8-Ball Zucchini (Easy Summer Recipe)

Name: Sausage-Stuffed 8-Ball Zucchini (Easy Summer Recipe)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 4 medium 8-ball zucchini; 1/2 pound hot breakfast sausage (ground); 1/4 cup onions (chopped); 1 teaspoon fresh garlic (chopped); 1/4 cup bell peppers (chopped or 1 teaspoon jalapeno, chopped); 1 medium tomato (chopped); 3 ounces Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese; salt and pepper

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Sneak Preview: These stuffed 8-ball zucchini squash make a fun and delicious dinner with spicy sausage, sautéed veggies, and melty cheese inside each edible bowl.

Sausage-stuffed 8 ball zucchini baked in a casserole dish, topped with melted cheese and ready to serve.

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I picked up a few 8-ball zucchini at a roadside produce stand simply because they looked interesting—like little yellow and green pumpkins. If you’ve ever done the same, or you grow them yourself, here’s a simple way to turn these round summer squash into a satisfying main dish. Stuffed with sausage, sautéed veggies, and cheese, these bake up beautifully and make a fun change from the usual zucchini boat.

Shared & Loved
“Besides being really yummy, they make an interesting, fun, and impressive presentation!
I grow them in a wine barrow, pick, and steam in the a.m., and pop them in the fridge. Then clean, stuff, and cook in the afternoon/evening. Or heck, just do it all in the morning and heat ’em up for dinner!”—JENNIFER

yellow and green 8-ball squash--uncooked.

Ingredients and Substitutions

8-BALL ZUCCHINI: Use round zucchini if available; sub with green or yellow zucchini sliced lengthwise and hollowed.

HOT SAUSAGE: Use hot pork sausage; sub with Italian, breakfast sausage, ground beef, turkey, or omit for lentils/rice + cheese.

ONIONS: Fresh chopped onion; sub with frozen chopped onions.

GARLIC: Fresh minced garlic; sub with jarred pre-chopped garlic.

BELL PEPPERS: Green bell pepper; sub with red, yellow, or orange peppers—or add jalapeño for heat.

TOMATO: Medium fresh tomato; sub with grape tomatoes or drained canned diced tomatoes.

CHEESE: Monterey Jack or Cheddar; sub with Colby or any good melting cheese, or skip if needed.

SALT & PEPPER: Season to taste, especially if using unseasoned meat.

Sausage-Stuffed 8-Ball Squash -- scooping out squash

? Kitchen Tips That Make a Difference

Use a grapefruit spoon or melon baller to scoop out the squash cleanly without tearing the shell.
Pre-cook the zucchini before stuffing to soften the inside and cut down final bake time.
Drain the scooped pulp in a colander to keep the filling from getting watery.
Chop the drained squash flesh before adding it back into the filling—it blends in more evenly.
Stuff the squash earlier in the day, then bake or reheat just before serving, if more convenient.

Sausage-Stuffed 8-Ball Zucchini (Easy Summer Recipe)

By Paula Rhodes

Round 8-ball zucchini are hollowed and filled with a savory mix of sausage, sautéed veggies, and cheese, then baked until golden and bubbling. A colorful, satisfying way to enjoy summer squash.

4 from 18 votes

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Prep time: 20

Cook time: 20

Total time: 40

Ingredients

4 medium (784 g) 8-ball zucchini
½ pound (227 g) hot breakfast sausage (ground)
¼ cup (40 g) onions chopped
1 teaspoon fresh garlic chopped
¼ cup (38 g) bell peppers chopped or 1 teaspoon jalapeno, chopped
1 medium (123 g) tomato chopped
3 ounces (85 g) Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven: Set to 350˚F (180˚C).
Prepare the squash: Slice off the stem end of 4 medium (784 g) 8-ball zucchini. Place upside down in a pan with 1 inch of water and boil for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly.
Scoop the insides: Use a grapefruit spoon or melon baller to hollow out the zucchini. Drain the scooped flesh in a colander and chop.
Cook the filling: Brown 1/2 pound (227 g) hot breakfast sausage (ground) in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup (40 g) onions, 1 teaspoon fresh garlic and 1/4 cup (38 g) bell peppers or jalapeño. Cook until vegetables are soft.
Add tomato and squash: Stir in the chopped 1 medium (123 g) tomato and drained squash. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in half the cheese (3 ounces (85 g) Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese) and remove from heat.
Stuff the zucchini: Fill each hollowed squash with the sausage mixture. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake: Place stuffed zucchini in a baking dish and bake at 350˚F (180˚C) until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 15–20 minutes.

Equipment

Dutch oven

Nutrition

All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com

5-Star Ratings Are My Favorite!Your rating helps others find this recipe and keeps traditional favorites like this one easy to find.

FAQ About 8-Ball Squash

Can you eat the skin of 8-ball zucchini?

Yes, the skin is tender and completely edible after cooking.

How do you pick an 8-ball squash or zucchini?

Look for a firm texture with no soft spots. Squash that is too large will be tough and less flavorful.

Final Thoughts

Whether you grow 8-ball zucchini or pick them up at the market, this stuffed version is a fun way to serve a vegetable that already looks like a little bowl. It’s flexible, flavorful, and makes dinner feel just a little more special.

Related Recipes from My Kitchen

Looking for more ways to use summer squash? Try these reader favorites:

Need help troubleshooting? Email me: Paula at saladinajar.com—photos welcome!

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11 Comments

Besides being really yummy, they make an interesting, fun, and impressive presentation!
I grow them in a wine barrow, pick, and steam in the a.m., and pop them in the fridge. Then clean, stuff, and cook in the afternoon/evening. Or heck, just do it all in the morning and heat ’em up for dinner!

Paula says:

at

Hi Jennifer,
You grow them in a wine barrow? I’m impressed. What fun!!

Reply

I just bought some 8-ball squash today and was looking for recipe. This recipe sounds YUM … I will have to substitute sausage with quinoa since I am a vegetarian.
Thank you so much

Paula says:

at

Love your idea to use quinoa. Think I’ll try that myself. Thanks for writing.

Reply

Omg! These look delicious! I can’t wait to try them for dinner sometime soon!

Could the zucchini be stuffed then frozen for future use?

This looks original and delicious! Thanks for sharing 🙂

Your stuffed squash looks delicious! The fact that you are using almost perfectly round squash…Impressive!

I love all things stuffed…lemons are adorable emptied and stuffed and baked. Yum. This looks really good too. Well done

OMG….now that looks really GOOD!

looks yum yum….and very colourful too

Paula Rhodes, Owner and Author Salad in a Jar

Paula Rhodes, Home Economist & Owner

As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to prove that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my favorite ways to do that.