Fresh and Delicious Stuffed Summer Veggies

By Mary Shannon Wells

Make those summer trips to the farmer’s market worthwhile with these easy, fresh stuffed vegetable recipes that can go from appetizer to side dish to entrée. These stuffed summer veggie recipes have all your favorites — eggplant, tomato, zucchini and squash — filled with unexpected and delicious ingredients that are quick and easy to put together any night of the week. The portable and single-serve nature of stuffed vegetables also makes them a great grab-n-go appetizer or side for a buffet-style dinner. There are plenty of meatless options with stuffed summer veggies, and you can always add or take away stuffing elements to fit your preferences. You won't have to force your kids to eat these vegetables stuffed with the ingredients like avocado, bacon and jalapeno pimento cheese, and these recipes are perfect to have them help you with, too.

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Stuffed Peppers with Grits and Sausage

Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Stuffed Peppers with Grits and Sausage

We’re in for any reason to whip up some grits, and this quick recipe could be the answer to your your weeknight dinner prayers.

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Cornbread-Stuffed Zucchini

Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Cornbread-Stuffed Zucchini

Zucchini is the star of many summer vegetable dishes, and we love that this recipe includes fresh corn, too. But it’s the cornbread that really holds this stuffing together.

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Stuffed Tomatoes with Pesto Rice

Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Stuffed Tomatoes with Pesto Rice

Put those beautiful summer tomatoes to use for this vegetarian dish (you can add meat, too). If you’re feeling really productive, you can even make your own pesto with this basil pesto recipe.

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Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan

Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan

This stuffed eggplant parmesan is a healthier option with all the goodness of a heavier Italian dish, and is a great vegetarian dish, too.

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Stuffed Pattypan Squash with Beef and Feta

Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Stuffed Pattypan Squash with Beef and Feta

Go by your local farmers’ market for some fresh summer pattypan squash and fill with ground beef, feta, white rice (or any grain), red onion, spinach, dill and the best part — bacon. Because bacon.

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Grilled Stuffed Peppers

Photo: William Dickey

Recipe: Grilled Stuffed Peppers

This three-ingredient dish is sure to be a hit at your summer party. Step up the heat by using jalapenos instead of peppers, if you dare.

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Jalapeño Pimento Cheese Stuffed Vegetables

Recipe: Jalapeño Pimento Cheese Stuffed Vegetables

Fill hollowed-out summer vegetables like zucchini or any color bell pepper with jalapeno pimento cheese for an easy appetizer or snack with pretty presentation.

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Carrot-and-Cabbage Stuffed Peppers

Photo: Ralph Anderson

Recipe: Carrot-and-Cabbage Stuffed Peppers

This light cole slaw filling makes for an easy-to-pick-up and healthy side at the summer potluck. Warning: You’ll want to put the herb seasoning used in this recipe on everything.

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Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

Recipe: Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

You can satisfy your avocado obsession with these adorable stuffed cherry tomatoes. They’ll disappear before you know it.

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Zucchini Stuffed with Lady Peas

Alison Miksch

Recipe: Zucchini Stuffed with Lady Peas

Our favorite summer vegetable is back, this time with fresh lady peas for your classiest-sounding dish ever.

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Feta-Stuffed Tomatoes

Recipe: Feta-Stuffed Tomatoes

We know you want to cook with fresh summer tomatoes as much as you can this season, so try this feta-stuffed, meatless option that’s ready in 15 minutes.

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Stuffed Summer Squash

Recipe: Stuffed Summer Squash

It would be an insult to summer squash to not make it in the late summer or early fall, so why not look forward to Thanksgiving and fill it with a cornbread stuffing?

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