Description
One delicious way to eat zucchini is to stuff it with all the yummyness of a burrito. You could serve it with tortillas if you want.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 zucchini, halved lengthwise
- 2–3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt;Black pepper
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 cup black beans (I used freeze-dried instant black beans, but canned is fine)
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup corn (canned or frozen)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
- Fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Score zucchini with a small sharp knife and scoop out the insides with a spoon, reserving for later. Don’t cut through to the skin.
- Place zucchini halves, cut side up, into the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish and drizzle with 1 tablespoon, or so, of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until zucchini turns brighter green and is just starting to soften, about 10-15 minutes.
- Heat the rest of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and reserved zucchini and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about another minute. Add ground beef, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Cook until beef is no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Drain fat, if needed. I used 80/20 fat content and didn’t need to drain it.
- Stir in chili powder, cumin, and paprika. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the black beans, cherry tomatoes, and corn.
- Spoon beef mixutre into zucchini, then top with cheeses. Bake until zucchini is just tender and cheeses are melted, about 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro just before serving.
- Any leftover filling would be great in an actual burrito, so make sure you have some flour tortillas handy for the next day’s lunch!