You guys, these are so delicious, I promise you won’t even notice that they are healthy! Ha. Automatically when someone says “healthy,” I think “not good.” Why is that?! Anyway, these are packed full of flavor and are totally satisfying. When I’m doing a Whole 30, I leave the cheese and sour cream off of mine and they are still equally delicious!
Start off by measuring out the spice mix. Note: I keep several spice mixes already prepped in my pantry. This is one of them. World Market has the cutest spice jars that are perfect for pre-measured spice mixes! Why make so many of my own spice mixes you ask? Because I can control the ingredients and I know my spice mixes don’t have any bad junk added that our bodies don’t need. Back to the recipe – measure the spices and open the can of tomato sauce.
Slice the zucchini in half, lengthwise and scoop out the middle to form little “boats” to hold the meat mixture. Bake them at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until tender.
While the zucchini is baking, brown the ground beef and onion together, then add in the tomato sauce and spice mixture, stirring to combine well. Once the mixture is combined, whisk together the water and cornstarch (or arrowroot starch if Whole 30) and then stir into the meat mixture. Let it boil for a couple minutes so that it thickens, but keep stirring as it does.
Once the meat mixture has thickened and the zucchini is tender, remove the zucchini from the oven and spoon the meat mixture into the zucchini boats.
Sprinkle cheese over the top.
Bake at 400 for another 5-10 minutes.
Serve with your favorite enchilada toppings. I use chopped tomatoes, jalapenos, diced green onion, sour cream, guacamole, black olives, shredded lettuce, etc. Whatever I feel like that night!
I like to serve this with Trader Joe’s Mexican Style Roasted Corn with Cotija Cheese as a side dish. I can quickly heat it up while the enchiladas are finishing in the oven.
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Enchilada Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
3 medium zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp ancho chili powder
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
2/3 cup water
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use a spoon to scoop out the middle of each zucchini half, creating “boats.” Brush the zucchini all over with olive oil and place in a 9×13 baking dish. Bake until the zucchini is tender, about 20 minutes.
While the zucchini is baking, cook the ground beef and onion in a skillet. Drain the excess fat. Return to the heat, and add the garlic. Cook for 1 more minute. Add the tomato sauce and spices and stir well. In a bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Add to the meat mixture and stir. Allow the meat mixture to come to a boil and stir while boiling for about 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 5 minutes, until it has thickened some.
When the zucchini is tender, remove it from the oven. Spoon the meat mixture into the boats. Top with cheese and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Serve topped with your favorite enchilada toppings: diced green onion, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, black olives, jalapenos, sour cream, salsa, or guacamole.