Mexican flavored ground beef taco meat fills these stuffed zucchini boats topped with melted cheese and all the taco toppings for an all-in-one, easy dinner.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword zucchini boats
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 40 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour
Servings 6
Calories 381kcal
Ingredients
1pound85% lean ground beef
½white onion, diced
2clovesgarlic,
2teaspoonscumin
2teaspoonschili powder
1teaspoonsgarlic salt
1teaspoonssalt
1teaspoonspepper
2cupstomato juice
¼cupyellow corn meal
3medium zucchini
2cupsshredded cheddar cheese, or mix with Monterey Jack
Your favorite taco toppings like chopped tomato, diced onion, olives, sour cream, and avocado.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Add the ground beef to a large skillet over medium high heat and cook until browned, about 10 minutes, breaking into small pieces as it browns. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent.
Add the cumin, chili powder, garlic salt, kosher salt, and black pepper and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the tomato juice and cornmeal and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the juice has cooked down and the cornmeal softens, stirring occasionally. Add more tomato juice or water if the mixture clumps. Remove the taco meat from the heat, cover, and keep warm.
Trim the ends of the zucchini and slice in half lengthwise. Use a small metal spoon to scrape out the seeds and hollow out the zucchini. Chop the pulp and add to the taco meat mixture as it cooks, or discard.
Spray a baking sheet or casserole dish with baking spray and add the zucchini, cut side up. Lightly sprinkle the insides with kosher salt. Bake the zucchini for 10-15 minutes or until they begin to soften. Remove from the oven.
Gently mix 1 cup of the shredded cheese into the taco mixture. Spoon the taco meat into the zucchini boats, evenly filling and mounding each zucchini half. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the zucchini is fork tender. Remove the foil, then top the zucchini boats with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the zucchini is tender. Garnish with taco toppings and serve.
Notes
The taco meat can be made before hand and refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 2 months before stuffing the zucchini. Warm the taco meat before stuffing.