Zucchini Enchilada Boats are a great dinner!! Easy to make, full of nutrition, and low in carbs. All the great flavors of traditional enchiladas without the tortilla. This is a great recipe to use up all those summer garden zucchinis.
1 ½cupsshredded cheddar cheese(can use monterey jack, pepper jack, or a mexican blended cheese)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 pan by pouring about ½ cup of enchilada sauce across the bottom, set aside.
In a large skillet, over medium heat, sauté the onions, peppers, and garlic in the oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef (or turkey) and crumble while cooking thru. Drain excess grease before moving on.
1 tablespoon oil, 1 cup yellow onion, ½ cup bell peppers, 3-4 plump garlic cloves, 1 lb. ground beef
Off the heat stir in about ½ cup red enchilada sauce, chopped cilantro, and the chili powder, cumin, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
2 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon each - garlic powder & onion powder, red pepper flakes to taste, ½ cup chopped cilantro
Trim the stem and end of the zucchini and discard. Then cut the fresh zucchini in half lengthwise. Core out the middle of each half using a spoon. See picture or watch video above showing each step.
3 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cored
Set the zucchini halves in the prepared 9x13 pan. Fill each zucchini half with the ground beef mixture, dividing it evenly. Pour the remaining can of enchilada sauce over the filled zucchini boats. Sprinkle with all the cheese.
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.Pro Tip: if you have extra large zucchini then add 5-10 minutes to the covered cooking time.
Serving
Serve your zucchini enchiladas topped with sour cream or Greek yogurt, guacamole or avocados, extra cilantro, and/or chopped green onions.
Make Ahead
These make an excellent make-ahead dinner! Prepare completely, without baking, then pop in the fridge for 1-2 days. Bake covered for 30 minutes at 350°, remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.