This is an awesome twist on zucchini recipes and one we will be using again soon! The flavor was outstanding and it was a pretty easy summer dinner (thank God for air conditioning though because I would not have turned the oven on otherwise…it’s been pretty warm in Oregon!). I also love that you can dress this up however you prefer with toppings to individualize for the fam. I am also not the biggest fan of leftovers, but this one was really good for lunch the next day!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 medium sized zucchini
• 1 pound ground beef (grass fed of course!)
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 ounce can tomato sauce
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup mexican shredded cheese (*optional)

Optional Toppings

• Diced avocado
• Chopped cilantro
• Chopped tomatoes
• Sliced olives
• Sour cream
• Diced onion
• Whatever your little heart desires!

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim the ends off zucchini. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out pulp, leaving ½-in. shells. Line up the zucchini in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Chop the pulp up into very small pieces and set aside.

In a medium sized skillet add ground beef until no longer pink. Drain the excess grease. Add the reserved zucchini pulp and the chili powder, garlic powder, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, paprika, cumin and salt and pepper to the ground beef. Add the tomato sauce and water and combine.

Fill the zucchini boats evenly with the taco mixture. Top with shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Remove from oven and top with favorite toppings.

*The cheese is totally optional. If you are dairy free or just trying to cut down on dairy like myself for hormone reasons, this recipe is super flavorful and really didn’t need the cheese! It’s just that good!

Recipe from The Recipe Critic

For more delicious recipes and/or holistic health tips and information, find me at healthwithjessica.com