Have you ever received a letter home from your child’s teacher telling you she ate some of your child’s lunch? That’s what happened when I sent my daughter to school with the leftover taco zucchini boats. I was a little shocked at first then flattered. I know the teacher was not being malicious and considering the large portion size I had given my daughter, it’s not like she went hungry from the missing bite or two.
After the shock wore off, I realized the teacher was requesting a copy of the recipe for the taco zucchini boats. I guess the smell was too tempting and hard to resist. Not only do these taco zucchini boats smell delicious, they are packed full of goodness and are carb free. For anyone looking for a healthier dinner option, you’ll want to give these taco zucchini boats a try. I especially love how you can reheat the leftovers for lunch the next day and they taste just as good if not better.
I found this recipe made a lot of extra filling. So much so, that I filled a 9×9 casserole dish with the extras, topped it with cheese and put it in the freezer for another day. I later served it with a side of nacho chips for a Friday night snack. How’s that for a healthy snack? The filling would also make an excellent topping on a bed of lettuce greens. It’s so good!
You can modify the ingredients if you wish to suit your personal taste preferences. You can use this technique for taco zucchini boats and stuff them full of all kind of goodness! You can try filling your zucchini boats with homemade chili, pulled pork, taco seasoned ground beef, chicken or turkey. Anything goes!
Since these taco zucchini boats are so healthy and good for you, go ahead and reach for a second helping.
Taco Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
- 4 large zucchini
- 1 can black beans , drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 red bell pepper , cored and diced
- ½ cup onion , diced
- ½ cup frozen corn
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- salt to taste
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Green onions (optional)
Instructions
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Slice each zucchini in half lengthwise. Using a melon baller or metal teaspoon, hallow out the center of each zucchini.
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Place the zucchini boats skin side down on a parchment lined cookie sheet and drizzle a little olive oil over top.
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Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and cook the onions and peppers for a few minutes until the onions are translucent.
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Add the cooked rice, corn and black beans to the mixture. Stir in the salsa and chili powder. Cook for an additional 5 minutes until everything is heated through.
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Preheat your oven to 400 F. Spoon your filling into each of the zucchini boats until they are heaping full.
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Cover with foil and cook in the oven for 20 minutes until the zucchini is fork tender but not too soft.
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Remove the foil and sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Such a great idea! And a wonderful way to get even more veggies into the kids!
Any way to sneak those veggies in the kids, right? 😉
I’m going to use this recipe not only as an excuse to make taco zucchini boats (uh, yum) but also to take bites of food off people’s plates that normally would be taboo. I’m talking students, teachers, strangers and maybe even RCMP officers. Okay, maybe not RCMP officers. But strangers? For sure.
These look delicious!
You go girl!! But I’m not liable if you get in trouble. 😉
Zucchini boat, love it! Low carb version compared to potato skins!
What a great idea! And I’m impressed your kids will eat this :-). Awesome inspiration for a simple dinner. Thank you!