Home Happenings… Mexican Zucchini Burrito Boats

I have a carnivore living with me and he’s on a ketogenic diet. I am not… yet anyway. My diet is more Whole30-ish. I say “ish” because I allow myself to have tacos and burgers on occasion. Haha!!!

I was attempting to do a thing last week by going meatless to cut down on the grocery budget and to eat up what we had in the house first. It is amazing how many meals I was able to make with what we had in the fridge, freezer, and pantry. When it was time to go grocery shopping for dinner one night I couldn’t believe I spent under $10 to make four servings worth of this meatless meal, Mexican Zucchini Burrito Boats.

These Mexican Zucchini Burrito Boats were my efforts to be Whole30-ish while going meatless. Success!

They are packed full of flavor! A taco in a zucchini vessel is the perfect way to sneak in another serving of veggies into your meal. These Mexican Zucchini Burrito Boats are so delicious and filling it’s hard to believe they are meatless.

Mexican Zucchini Burrito Boats

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 4 large zucchini, cut in half and centers scooped out
• 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 cup pico de gallo
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup corn kernels
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced
• olive oil
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• sea salt, to taste
• 8 oz shredded Mexican cheese blend

And Action:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Grease a 9 x 13” casserole dish then set aside. Lightly brush the tops with one teaspoon of olive oil then place them skin side down in the casserole dish.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and the peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add rice, corn, beans, salsa, chili powder and cumin. Stir everything together and cook for about 5 minutes then remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.

Stir in 1/4 cup of the cilantro and salt to the filling. Spoon the filling inside of each zucchini until they are all full. Sprinkle each one with cheese then arrange them in the dish and cover with foil. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes then remove the foil and set the oven to broil. Cook them for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

Allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes then top with fresh cilantro and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Enjoy!