Cheesy Salsa Beef Zucchini Boats – Kalyn's Kitchen

Posted by Calin Denny On August 6, 2021

Zucchini and Cheese Meat Boats are made from long, hollowed-out pieces of zucchini and stuffed with sauce, beef, and cheese. And if you’re keen on using a low-sugar sauce, it’s deliciously low-carb!

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I recently shared my updated collection of 50 amazing zucchini recipes On the Kalyn’s Kitchen Facebook PageAnd from the response it was clear that there are a lot of people looking for zucchini recipes! Stuffed zucchini is a classic way to use zucchini that gets too big, my recipe Zucchini cups stuffed with meat, tomatoes and mozzarella This is a very popular idea of how to empty giant zucchini and make cups to fill a cheesy mixture of sausage and cheese. But if you have big but not too big zucchini, this is Zucchini Beef with Cheese Boats It’s a delicious stuffed zucchini option with taco flavours.

This recipe makes a lot, but stuffed zucchini like this reheats really well, and when you have a counter full of zucchini staring in the face, you don’t want to cook something that uses a little zucchini. But if you don’t have a lot of zucchini or don’t want to make a lot, just cut the recipe in half!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

What Low Carb Salsa Do I Use?

I use pes picante sauce (Referral link) for this recipe. I love this brand, which has no added sugar and only has 16 carbs per cup. I’ve used this salsa for years and love it so much I have a bunch of Low carb recipes with pes picante sauce, including some favorites like Pork Chops Instant SauceAnd Instant Pot (or slow cooker) southwestern beef brothAnd instant chicken sauce, And Mahi Mahi with Mediterranean Sauce and Feta.

What are zucchini boats?

Zucchini boats refer to large zucchini that are cut in half lengthwise and hollowed out to make a “boat” and then stuffed with a tasty mixture.

Want more options for stuffed zucchini?

Zucchini cups stuffed with meat, tomatoes and mozzarella This is a great zucchini recipe if you end up with really big zucchini! Zucchini stuffed with minced meat Made with 8 zucchini balls, this recipe includes red peppers, onions, and basil, and uses only 1/4 cup of cooked brown rice per serving, or replace the rice with cauliflower rice. tasting Vegetable stuffed zucchini It contains brown rice, black beans, chiles, cheddar, and cotija cheese, and this is another variant where you can use cauliflower rice instead of rice.

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How to make zucchini boats with beef and cheese:

(Scroll down for the full recipe with nutritional information.)

i used pes picante sauce (Referral link) for this recipe because it has no added sugar and I love this sauce.
We used zucchini that are about 10 inches long and cut them in half lengthwise and crosswise; Then we emptied the inside using watermelon (affiliate link) to make a boat; You can also use a sharp spoon.
You can put it in the microwave for a few minutes if you want the zucchini to become softer in the finished dish; We skipped this step.
Brown the ground beef, then set aside and add the onions until partially cooked.
then add taco seasoning kalin Or your favorite taco seasoningAnd ground cumin (affiliate link) Salt, pepper, and sauce and cook over low heat until most of the liquid has evaporated.
While the meat is boiling over low heat, cut the olives into slices and measure the amount of cheese. When the meat mixture is mostly dry, turn off the heat and let it cool for a minute or two.
Then stir in the olives and most of the cheese with the meat.
Place the zucchini boats on a baking sheet that you have sprayed with nonstick spray and use a large spoon to fill them with the meat mixture and bag them.
Bake about 25 minutes then sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the zucchini are cooked through.
Serve hot, with a little sour cream and sauce on the side to add to the table if desired.

More delicious ideas with zucchini:

Best slow cooker zucchini recipes ~ slow cooker or pressure cooker
50 Amazing Zucchini Recipes, Plus More Around the Web ~ Calin’s Kitchen

Weekend meal prep:

This recipe has been added to a category called Prepare food on the weekend To help you find recipes to make or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

ingredients

4 large zucchini (see notes)

2 lbs. minced meat

2 tsp. olive oil

1 small onion chopped

1 T Kalyn’s Taco Seasoning or any taco seasoning of your choice

1 tsp. ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 cups Bisque Picante sauce (see notes)

2 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese mix (divided)

One 6 oz. black olives box

directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C. Spray a baking pan with nonstick spray.
Wash the zucchini and cut off the stem and flower ends. Cut each zucchini in half lengthwise and then again in half crosswise to make 8 pieces. use watermelon (affiliate link) or a sharp spoon to scrape off most of the fleshy interior of the zucchini, creating a “boat” with about 1/2 inch of the flesh stuck to the skin of the zucchini.
If you prefer your zucchini fairly well done, you can microwave the boats for a few minutes before stuffing them; If you dry this spot with a paper towel before applying the filling. (We did not microwave them and our towels were only soft when finished.)
Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan; Add ground beef and cook over medium-high heat until well browned, breaking up the meat with the turner or potato masher (referral link) while it’s cooking.
When the beef is cooked through, push it aside and add the chopped onion and let it cook for 3-4 minutes, until the onions start to soften.
Stir onions and beef together and add taco seasoningcumin, salt, pepper and pes picante sauce (affiliate link) or a sauce of your choice.
Stir together, then reduce heat and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.
While the mixture simmers over low heat, drain the olives and cut the cheese into slices.
Place the zucchini boats on a large baking sheet that you have sprayed with nonstick spray.
When the meat mixture appears dry, if you draw a spoon into the bottom of the pan, turn off the heat and let it cool for 2-3 minutes. Then add the olives and 1 1/2 cups cheese.
Use a tablespoon to stuff the mixture into the zucchini boats, wrapping them tightly until you use it all.
Bake the stuffed zucchini for 25 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender when inserted with a fork.
Remove the baking tray from the oven and sprinkle the top of each stuffed zucchini with extra cheese. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the zucchini has softened to your liking.
Serve hot with sour cream and extra sauce to add to the table if desired.

notes

To make the full recipe, you need zucchini that are about 10-12 inches long each. If you do not have pes picante sauce (Referral link) Choose a sauce with the least amount of sugar you can find.

Recipe by Kalin and Kara.

Nutrition information:

fruit:

serving size:

Amount per service:

Calories: 505Total fat: 33 gramsSaturated fat: 14 gramsUnsaturated fats: 1 gramUnsaturated fats: 15 gramsCholesterol: 134 mgsodium: 1081 mgCarbohydrates: 10 gramsthe basic: 4 gramssugar: 6 gramsprotein: 40 grams

Nutrition information is calculated automatically by the Recipe Plug-In I’m using. I am not a dietitian and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, as many variables affect these calculations.

Low Carb Diet / Low Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This recipe is low carb, keto-friendly, and everything used in the recipe is perfect for all phases of the original South Beach Diet. The highest carb ingredient here is the sauce. Look for a sauce with the lowest amount of sugar you can find. The recipe is also gluten-free.

Find more recipes like these:
Uses zucchini recipes or Oven dinner To find more recipes like these. use the Diet type indicator To find recipes suitable for a particular food plan. You may also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest To see all the good recipes I share there.

Historical notes for this recipe:
This recipe was first published in 2016. It was updated with more information in 2021.